National Hockey League (NHL)

"Brett [Hull] is a funny guy. He always talked a lot. For me, sometimes pointing works best. I could see in my mind what he was saying. I saw plays work. He gave me confidence to play better. He pushed me to do more. But I tried to learn to shoot like him … but it was impossible."

"Coming to Detroit was great for me."

"I didn't see a lot of NHL in Russia, but a couple of games I did see I liked and it made me want to try to be there."

"I don't remember those early playoff games. Keep it positive. I'm a different player. More focused. I know how important it is to score in the playoffs."

"I need to shoot."

"I only want Detroit. I want to start and finish with one team. This team. Detroit."

"It has taken me six years to start shooting It's a new generation out there with Ovechkin and Kovalchuk. They like to shoot."

"I want to be more shooter, more dangerous, close to the net."

"I wasn't strong when I was young. The puck was maybe too heavy. I guess I tried to move the puck from side to side to keep from getting hit."

"What do I like to do away from hockey? Soccer, tennis. Even go into the training room. And golf. But I'm not so good at golf. Lots of lost balls."

"When I came to North America, it was hard. It was hard to understand, hard to get someone to understand me. I only knew Russian. I studied French in school, but it didn't help. I forgot most of that."

"When I started shooting it just gives my partners more chances for rebounds. It opens up more room."

"Everything he does is exciting to watch." - Dave Lewis

"Datsyuk's moves still dazzle teammates, even those who play on his line. Pretty much every day he is doing something you don't think you can do out there." - Tomas Holmstrom

"He has more moves and vision still in the bag that we haven't seen yet." - Darren Pang

"He is as good a player and as dominant player as there is in this league." - Mike Babcock

"He's a wonderful player." - Brett Hull

"He's good on faceoffs, good on defense and great on offence. Who wouldn't want him on the ice?" - Mike Babcock

"He's got great feel, a sixth sense. Like radar, he knows you're going to be there." - Mike Babcock

"He's so gifted, so smart, he's got a great temperament for the game, too." - Brett Hull

"He wants to win the Stanley Cup this year and then another 10 times." - Maxim Kuznetsov

"I don't know if there is a player stronger on his skates than Pavel." - Nicklas Lidstrom

"I still say he's the smartest player I've ever played with. Pavel sees the game as well as any of the elite players in this league." - Brett Hull

"Pavel's biggest strength is his ability to beat people, hold on to the puck and draw people to him." - Steve Yzerman

"Pavs is a funny guy, He'll throw a joke out in English and guys will be clueless what he is talking about. He'll be laughing to himself and he'll think he has it and we'll just nod our heads." - Boyd Devereaux

"Some of the things he's done are truly amazing. Those are not normal skills. Those are way, way up there in the stratosphere, and you shake your just head after he does it. And he does it on a consistent basis. He's a special player." - Rick Dudly

"Sports are like a religion in Detroit, and I don't think those Detroit fans have seen magic like that since … Barry Sanders … all those moves." - Marty Turco

"The way he plays, he fits on the team because he's a smart player. He knows how to play the puck-possession game." - Igor Lirianov

"This game is all about confidence, and right now he's got it." - Brendan Shanahan

"We knew in rookie camp that he was going to be a player, but we didn't know he'd play as well as he has. He's a great stick handler." - Scotty Bowman

"When he's hot, it's so much fun to play with him because he can do so much on the ice. If you just keep your stick down, you know you're going to get he puck. You don't really know how he does it." - Tomas Holmstrom