Ian Laperriere Quote Book
2005 - 2006
Quotes From Lappy
"We want to be known as team tough... If you want to go after one of our guys, I'll go after one of your guys. I don't care. That's the way it goes."
September 28, 2005 - Denver Post
"He was doing a lot of yapping early in the game but after I tried to go, he sat in his corner real quiet. He just wants attention in everything he does."
September 29, 2005 - Rocky Mountain News
"If he's looking for a French guy who will back it up, I'm his guy. Print it. I'll be more than happy to back it up."
September 29, 2005 - Rocky Mountain News
"He has been mouthing around that he's going to get me all training camp. He had his chance in (Las) Vegas and he had his chance (Thursday). He was nowhere to be found. He's a great player, I've said that all along, but he got his mouth going again and didn't back it up."
September 30, 2005 - Rocky Mountain News
"He had his chance in Vegas and he had his chance tonight. You know what really gets me is, that's exactly what he wants. He wants us to talk about him. I'm playing right into his game."
September 30, 2005 - Denver Post
Referring to Sean Avery and his remarks concerning French-Canadians in the league
"I'm not a visor guy because of the way I play and what comes with it... I get into scraps, and guys who get into scraps, it's an unwritten rule not to wear a shield. It's just a macho thing. I'm not afraid to say it. That's the way it is."
Colorado Avalanche forward Ian Laperriere doesn't wear a face shield, even though he believes players entering the league should - October 14, 2005 - Rocky Mountain News
"I'm not talking about him... That's what he wants, and he doesn't deserve it."
October 19, 2005 - Rocky Mountain News
"I'm not talking about him," Laperriere said, smiling. "Nice try."
October 20, 2005 - Los Angeles Times
When asked about playing against Sean Avery again
"It was special that I can play my 700th game against them. But I don't think I'll feel any different because it's 700."
Referring to play in his 700th NHL game against the team he spent nine seasons with before joining the Avalanche as a free agent - October 19, 2005 - Rocky Mountain News
"When I woke up, I didn't think today was going to be special in any way... When I play against them in L.A., then it will be hard. I have a lot of friends back there."
October 20, 2005 - Los Angeles Times
"They have some guys I was close to, but they'll hit me, I'll hit them. It's all part of the game."
October 19, 2005 - Rocky Mountain News
Referring to facing his former LA King teammates for the first time
"I'm not fooling anybody. It doesn't mean because I got two goals [on Wednesday] that I'm a goal scorer. I know what my job is. I might chip in once in a while like that, but my main job is to be physical and play good defense out there and be a physical force out there."
October 21, 2005 - TheFourthPeriod.com
"At one point Joel stopped sending our first power play unit out there and they sent me instead, to kill the time I guess... Hey, did I just jab myself?"
On getting extra ice time in a game where the Avs beat the Oilers 7-1 - October 22, 2005 - Edmonton Sun
"I had a little too much butter on my toast."
Referring to celebrating a little more than usual after scoring what proved to be the game winning goal against the Canucks - October 27, 2005 - Rocky Mountain News
"For a guy like me who doesn't score often, it was a great feeling..."
After scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against the Canucks - October 29, 2005 - Associated Press
"The linesman goes, 'What do we do?' I said, 'Well, I can't reach his face, you better come in.' "
On a conversation he had with the linesmen before they broke up his fight with six-foot-six Oilers defenseman Alex Semenov - October 29, 2005 - Edmonton Sun
"I had three zones to skate in and I wasn't sure I was going to make it. Nobody was with me, and that's really a great feeling. Sometimes, you have too much time, but then I saw the five hole..."
Joked an elated Laperriere after the first overtime goal of his career - October 30, 2005 - The Colorado Springs Gazette
"It's going to be weird. Knowing me, I'm an emotional guy... I was there for so long, I was thinking about it the other day. I was in LA for one-third of my life. It's going to be weird. It won't be a walk in the park."
"I talk to those guys every week. You make friends it's tough to cut the cord... I had a great time with those guys. Even though we don't play on the same team, we're friends forever."
Speaking of his first trip back to Staples Center as a member of the Colorado Avalanche - November 15, 2005 - Press Enterprise
"I just go to the net...He's fast, I'm slow...It's a great combination. I'm all for it."
Crediting linemate Antti Laaksonen for setting up his two goals against the Oilers - November 29, 2005 - Associated Press
"I try to chip in once in a while."
Referring to his two goals against the Oilers, 11/29/05 - November 30, 2005 - Rocky Mountain News
"I'm having a lot of fun this year. It's a great bunch of guys and we work for one reason, and that's to win. I know that's a cliche, but that's the way it is."
November 30, 2005 - Rocky Mountain News
"Sometimes change is good...so far it's been great to me. I like our room. You just do your job and that's all you have to worry about."
"I'm not that greedy...I'm not a goal scorer. I'm not fooling any one. I'm just in the right place at the right time... That's what's great about this team. We don't care who scores."
November 30, 2005 - Edmonton Sun
"His nickname is Lucky but I was the Lucky one to have him as a teammate and friend."
Speaking of Luc Robitaille - 2005-2006 LA Kings/Luc Robitaille Yearbook
"I don't know, I'm close to perfect."
Said with a grin, when asked about his 2006 New Year's Resolution - January 1, 2006 - Denver Post
"I don't run around as much as I used to – hitting-wise, I mean..."
In reference to adjusting his playing style for the 'new' NHL - January 6, 2006 - Colorado Springs Gazette
"That's what they want with eight games against the same team...That's what they got out of us, a good rivalry, it's good for the game. People like fighting, it just happened to be me tonight."
Laperriere fought Bryan Allen in the first period and Ryan Kesler in the second period during the game against division rival Vancouver Canucks - January 29, 2006 - Associated Press
"When we come back from the (two-week Olympic) break, half of our team will be rested... The Slovak and Latvian guys will be rested, too, because they'll only have five games."
Setting up a good-natured dig at teammates Budaj, Skrastins and Svatos - February 13, 2006 - Rocky Mountain News
"There's two of us...YOU and ME..."
Said to me, regarding how many people visit this website - March 3, 2006 - Avs Practice Facility
"What a great guy. What a great teammate. It's sad the way his career ended (with concussion problems). Just talking about it, I get goose bumps. He was just the ultimate teammate on the ice and off the ice... It's going to be good to see him. I talked to him last year on the phone to see how he was doing, and to see him and his family is going to be great."
Speaking of Adam Deadmarsh, who was honored by the Los Angeles Kings in a pregame ceremony at the Staples Center - March 20, 2006 - Denver Post
"I'd by lying if I said, 'Oh, no, I don't care, we can't control what we can't control, we'll see what happens at the end of the year... They watch us. We watch them. That's what the league wanted, a competitive league and tight races. They asked for it, they got it.' "
March 22, 2006 - Denver Post
"I was in Los Angeles a long time. The first time I came back, earlier in the season, the ovation was great and this time too. It means the world to me because the fans know how emotional I am. When I get an ovation like that, of course I hear them; it goes right to my heart. It's great to be cheered like that because it means they appreciate the work I do."
Reflecting on his connection to the LA fans - March 28, 2006 - TheFourthPeriod.com
"Yes, I did see him play this well in L.A. He's an all-star defenseman and a Hall of Famer (prospect). He's unbelievable. Ask him if he knew anything about him being the 17th defenseman to score 200 goals. I bet he didn't know anything about that. The only thing he cares about is winning."
Speaking of his Avalanche and Kings teammate, Rob Blake - April 7, 2006 - Denver Post
"This is a young kid and we have put a lot of pressure on him. When he got to play in the Olympics, his confidence came up. He is 23, not 32. He understands that he has a guy behind him that as soon as he is ready is going to play. Peter can handle that. He knows he can use this time to remind everyone what he can do. And get great experience."
Speaking of rookie goaltender, Peter Budaj - April 8, 2006 - Denver Post
"Twenty goals, I never scored even close to that before. More important, it was a big goal for our team. It's better than scoring one goal in a 6-1 win."
April 8, 2006 - Longmont Daily Times-Call
"I thought we had a pretty good shift right before the goal. Brett McLean and (Antti) Laaksonen were cycling the puck for a while... I knew something was going to come out of it. You get that feeling sometimes. I positioned myself in front of the net and it wasn't too hard of a shot. I just tipped it."
On scoring his 20th goal of the season for the first time in his career - April 8, 2006 - Denver Post
"I guess I was so focused on defense that I didn't think about offense at all... It's been a new challenge for me here, a little chapter in my career, and I'm having fun every day."
On having recorded career bests for goals (21) and points (45) heading into the Avalanche's regular-season finale - April 17, 2006 - Rocky Mountain News
"He looks great... To be an MVP like he's been in junior the last few months, you've got to be able to handle pressure and that's what he proved to everybody. He knows everybody in here from being here early on, and that's huge. Hopefully, it's going to be a Cinderella story for him and us."
Speaking of rookie Wojtek Wolski, who was added to Colorado's playoff roster Wednesday - April 20, 2006 - Denver Post
"He never had it easy. You see guys around the league who stick around, and you wonder why. That guy's actually battled every step of the way. He takes some hits and he gives some hits. That's why he's got a beautiful nose like mine. We're not born like that – that's from hard-nosed playing."
Speaking of Dallas Star Stephane Robidas - April 27, 2006 - Fort Worth Star Telegram
"That's what I like about this team – we follow our leaders. We follow Joe, we follow 'Blakie,' we follow 'Tangs.' Whatever they do, we do. They know what it takes to go where we want to go. I'm 32 years old and I'm learning every single day with those guys."
April 29, 2006 - Rocky Mountain News
"Usually, those guys won before, and it's no big secret why they win. They're guys who want to be on the line when it counts, and we've got the best example there with Joe. Seven OT winners in his career, best ever. It's not luck. It's nothing about luck. It's about character and the kind of guy he is. That's the kind of guy who wants to be out there when it really counts."
May 4, 2006 - Rocky Mountain News
"It's not luck - it's hard work, and they want to be out there in those pressure (situations). They want to be the guy, even if they won't admit it. They want to be in those shoes and have the game-winning goal on their stick. They are a different breed, I guess. We always know we have a chance. We know we have guys who want to be out there and drive to score big goals."
May 5, 2006 - Rocky Mountain News
Referring to players such as Joe Sakic and Andrew Brunette
"Everybody has a chance to win. You look at it and we're still around: five, six, seven and eight (seeds). Who would have imagined that? That's the new NHL. That's the way they want it. I think it's great. You never know what year you'll have a chance to be there."
May 5, 2006 - Rocky Mountain News
"For sure, you don't want to lose four in a row. It is disappointing no matter what. You're out of the playoffs, and you're going home."
"We came out flying. We kept going. That's the kind of game we needed to bring, but we didn't get the result we wanted. We couldn't score against the big boy. It's tough to take, because everybody gave everything."
May 12, 2006 - Longmont Daily Times-Call