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| Rick DiPIETRO (dee-pee-EHT-roh, RIHK) |
New York Islanders |
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On being named an All-Star in 2008: "Being a fan of hockey growing up, you watch the skills competition and the All-Star Game. It's kind of cliché to say the dream came true, but it really did. It's kind of like being a kid again. You get a chance to meet all these great players. Being in the skills competition is going to be a great time."
On his leadership role with the Islanders: "I definitely want to become someone the guys can rely on and count on for support. I'm a competitive person, and I have a tendency to have a short fuse with guys sometimes. That's something, as a leader, that you just can't do. Last year was a learning experience with that. But I can't tell you how much I care for all the guys on the team and the organization. That's something you need to let them know. You need to show them that you care and you want them to succeed."
On his goalie mask: "The inspiration for my mask came from the fact that we play in the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and because my dad is a Vietnam veteran. So I thought it would be a good idea to pay tribute to all those men and women that fought so bravely for our country. The artist and I threw some ideas back and forth. I made some specific requests, including the helicopter that my dad flew in Vietnam, which is on the side."
On his father fighting in Vietnam: "You watch all those movies like ‘Forest Gump' and you see clips about the Vietnam War. It's something my dad and I talk about quite a bit. He touches upon all of the things he went through. I remember when I first found his military stuff. He had a cherry chain, which is something you get when you get shot down. He told me about that stuff. It's tough to imagine thinking you had these kids over there at 19. When I was 19, I was in college and he was over there fighting in a war. It's definitely something I couldn't grasp and couldn't imagine doing."
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