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NHL AWARDS CEREMONY

June 22, 2011

Tim Thomas

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

VEZINA TROPHY

TIM THOMAS: I'm still playing and the way I feel I have many good years ahead of me and the goal is always to get better. I think that should be everybody's approach in life at whatever it is that they choose to do. So I would like to, you know, see what I can do to raise the bar higher. I would like to push myself to the limits.
One of my main goals at the beginning of this year was to -- I decided I was going to put in the work and I was going to find out how good I could be, could do. I'm going to try to keep that attitude going forward. I think that's the way to go about it.

Q. -- legacy at all? Maybe not where you stand now but --
TIM THOMAS: I hear the discussions around -- about it but I don't spend time focusing on that myself. I don't think it's productive as a player. That's something you do when your career is over.

Q. Tim, you mentioned when you got the award a year ago that you didn't know where you would be. What was that process like, not just the surgery but preparing for camp and not knowing? What was that like to go through that?
TIM THOMAS: Well, I had a pretty good idea, pretty early into camp that I would at least be able to play at a level that was high enough to play in the NHL and earn my own self-respect back.
It wasn't a difficult thing. Last summer going through the work that it took to get myself to the level that I wanted to be at, that was a lot of hard work. I was doing three workouts a day, and I was pretty much exhausted all the time, because that's what I knew it would take. But it's all paid off and it's a story of you put in the work, it will pay off.

Q. Did you know that you would be able to do that kind of work? Was there some doubt about that part of it?
TIM THOMAS: Well, no, coming out of the hip surgery I wasn't sure how it was going to be -- it didn't take me long to figure out that it was better, and it still had to do with the rehabilitation work but right away within the next two days after the surgery I was like, oh, freedom! That's what it felt like. That hip had been so -- but it's been a long journey, it's over a year long in a certain way, this part -- this chapter, anyway's, but it's obviously been rewarding.

Q. Tim, you're the first guy since Bernie Parent to get Conn Smythe and the Stanley Cup --
TIM THOMAS: He did it two years in a row.

Q. And he Tweetd tonight and said "welcome to the club"?
TIM THOMAS: Oh, really? That's the stuff that I enjoy hearing more than anything else, but it's amazing that he did it two years in a row. We're just coming off winning the cup and it's been crazy and I haven't had time to stop and think. I would love to be able to accomplish something like that, but I haven't had time and so many things have to fall into place. I bet you Bernie would agree, it takes a unique set of circumstances to be able to win that like he did two years in a row and it's an amazing accomplishment.

Q. Sounds like this is motivation for you to try to match it!
TIM THOMAS: Of course I'm going to try something similar. I haven't set my goals for next year yet, let's put it that way. I haven't had time to stop and think.

Q. Tim, what's it like looking to your left and to your right and having the Cup!
TIM THOMAS: Well, I've been seeing this one for a few days so I'm more familiar with it, this one I hadn't seen in a couple years so I was checking it out and remembering what it looks like.
I think it will set in this summer sometime. When I maybe see pictures of myself next to something like this, but it hasn't completely set in, it's getting there. You know, the Stanley Cup is the biggest goal, and since we've won that, my mind has been focusing on that one, not the individual awards.

Q. Dominik Hasek's record, was he a goalie that you looked up to?
TIM THOMAS: Yes, he was a goalie I started watching in my college years and watching his game and not trying to imitate his game but taking at least one or two aspects that I saw him use and trying to make them work in my game. Actually one of 'em worked for a while but it hasn't worked for me in a few years so I don't use them anymore.

Q. You received some criticism for being a more aggressive goalie. Do you think all of these awards validates your style?
TIM THOMAS: I think every goalie has to find their own style, I don't think that my style is the perfect style, that's for sure, but it works for me.
You've got to take the tools that you have and make it work, you know? I'm kinda like the redneck of goaltending duct tape everything together and you give a redneck a job and they're going to use the tools they have on hand and they're going to get the job done and that's the way that I approach goaltending.

Q. What was it that you got from has second that stopped working for you.
TIM THOMAS: When he used to get deep this way he used to fold over with the arms and he made quite a few saves that I saw and I used to be able to make that save but guys are too good now they lift the puck too well so you have to try to stay with 'em with your leg power.

Q. Tim, you're in the room with "Z" can you talk about the leader he's been?
TIM THOMAS: He's a great leader. You don't win Stanley Cups without great leaders and to be honest with you we had a whole room of great leaders this year.
We had quite a few that did a great job and led us all the way to the Cup and "Z" being our captain was the figurehead. Without his leadership and the other leaders that stepped up as the year went on, they don't happen.

Q. You've been here before that moment you and "Z" walking out with the Cup was that more special than doing things at these award nights?
TIM THOMAS: No, that was stressful because they didn't tell us we had to talk until 30 seconds before we went on stage so we weren't prepared at all.
Right when we won it in Vancouver, I think holding the Cup there was the most special, the second most special is the parade.

Q. A year ago someone said you would have both of these in the bag, what would you have said to them?
TIM THOMAS: A year ago? My surgery was a year and a couple weeks ago. I would have told 'em, that's what I'm shootin' for!

Q. You've been through a lot in your career. Where did you find the extra drive and the competitiveness to get to this point?
TIM THOMAS: I don't know. I think something that's instilled in me somehow as a child. I grew up believing in the American way and the American way is if you set your mind on something and work hard at it, you can reach it.

Q. Tim, I've got you figured out, a lot of people saying that you were looking like Drew Carey you look like Ulysses S. Grant with that beard you had. Thoughts on looking like the great one, Ulysses S. Grant?
TIM THOMAS: I'm not sure his beard was red because they were black and white photos but being compared to a past president, I guess it's flattering.

Q. Your style, a lot of people talk about it, think I've figured it out, old school 80s mixed with new push style, the Tim Thomas. Have I defined it correctly?
TIM THOMAS: Yeah, it's close, it's close.

Q. I did my best.
TIM THOMAS: It was not a bad description. We'll go with that.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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