NHL AWARDS CEREMONY

June 19, 1997

Brian Leetch

BRIAN LEETCH: Well, I think it certainly is an award that it's going to be great at the end of your career, I think, to look back on and say -- have some things to point to or have some things to tell your kids, at least, that you don't sit around and do nothing all day. You actually were good at something for a while. But, certainly, it is a different feeling because it is an individual award. And, you can share it with your family and you can enjoy it for a while. But, it is different than sharing a team award.

BRIAN LEETCH: Well, I think, as you all know, hockey players, anybody around the game, you know, are very protective of the game and get very close to it, so when something an illness, or a death, or an accident like what just happened with Vladimir hits home to everybody, it affects a lot of people. And, you know, I have got friends that are obviously hockey fans that are Ranger fans because of me that their first question to me is "How is the player from Detroit. How is the player from Detroit." It affects a lot of people and it certainly is something that I know every player in the NHL took a little piece of them out of. And, we are all waiting as anxiously as the next person, as their family. And our thoughts and prayers are with them. It is a tragedy. I have heard it said before it is the one player that if being tough and battling through, is going to help him out in this situation, we have got the right guy to have an injury like that. He always brought his game to the ice everyday and, you know, is the type of guy that is going to come out of this. That is what our optimism is, but it is tough. It is tough for everybody.

BRIAN LEETCH: If Ray is not hurt, he is right back here next year. I don't see any reason and, certainly Chris, if their team has some more offense, I think his game never changes defensively. But, he will get more points if they score more goals. They lost some guys in the off-season last year, so, they may be getting year older but they are not -- their game isn't sliding at all. So, everyone is going to have to work hard if anyone wants to get back here.

BRIAN LEETCH: Well, I think it certainly is a bonus to have been here before. Certainly, people are going to the following year looking to see what you are doing immediately, where it takes, you know, other players' time during the season to maybe draw attention to themselves. So that is the only place I see it can help. There is a lot of great players out there depending on injuries, and how their team are doing, you know, it would be foolish to say who is going to be here next year or what the circumstances are. But I will try and play the same way I have the last few years and if I end up here that is great.