Guy Carbonneau Live Chat Transcript
for the Dallas Stars Official Web Site

Friday, July 26, 6 p.m.

Guy Carbonneau is easily one of the most popular players in the history of the Dallas Stars. So once he came back to Dallas to take the position of Special Assistant to the General Manager, needless to say Stars fans were more than excited. Excitement built even more this summer when fans got their chance to talk one-on-one with the man some call "Superman" in these parts. If you missed the live event, we've included the transcript below.

MODERATOR: Welcome to the chat, Guy. How are you doing tonight?

Guy Carbonneau: I'm doing fine thank you. We're in Montreal right now and the weather is nice. I can't complain

StarFan22: Is it difficult to not actually be on the ice after all your years of playing?

Guy Carbonneau: Well, actually I had a tough time the first year in training camp and the first couple of games. But because I had a long career I knew it was time for me to quit. That made it a lot easier than if someone had said 'you are done, it's time to quit, go home.' Because of the way it went I think it was a lot easier

StarsFan1: Was there an opportunity for you to stay in the Montreal organization and if so, why did you decide to come back to Dallas?

Guy Carbonneau: There was an opportunity to keep coaching, being an assistant coach. They offered me a two-year contract, but I really enjoyed Dallas and it would give me a chance to try something else. I want to have a full resume when I'm done. I've been in the front office in Montreal and I've been close to the ice as an assistant coach. Now, having a chance to work with Doug Armstrong and a team that can achieve a lot of good things is just more of an experience for me

Joyce: Did you ever imagine, in your wildest dreams, that you'd be accepted so well by a bunch of Texans?

Guy Carbonneau: Well, I think the first year we went there it was difficult because I was used to being in Montreal where everybody recognized you. But when the success came, it was great to see that the people in the Dallas area embrace the team that way. You talk to the players who have always played there and they enjoy that atmosphere. You can perform really well and yet when you go out with your wife and kids you can still have some quiet time.

Curt: Who in the NHL today bests represents your style of play and why?

Guy Carbonneau: I would say probably Michael Peca. I think we have the same style. He reminds me of me a little bit being that I think he's a good leader on the ice and off the ice. I've had a chance to meet him too, and I think he plays hard, he plays tough, he hates to lose and anything he has to do to win the game, he will do.

StarFan22: With the changes that have been made, are you excited about the upcoming season?

Guy Carbonneau: Yes, I am. I think what happened last year. …I wouldn't say it was a fluke, but its something that was bound to happen with all the success the team had through the years. There was that playoff hangover a little bit, and the league changed too. In the past good teams, even if they had a slow start, were able to get going when February came around. But with the way the league is now, being that competitive, they had a bad start and couldn't come back. I talked to some of the guys this summer and they are mad about what happened and they're ready to come back and play hard. It should be a good year.

Alex: How involved will you be in the on-ice preparation of the Stars this year? Specifically, being such a good penalty killer and faceoff man, will you work with any of the players in those areas?

Guy Carbonneau: I had the chance to talk to Dave Tippett a little bit, and when I get back to Dallas we're going to sit down at length and really see what he wants. Dave is the coach. He's the one who will do what he wants with the players. I'm there to help, and whatever help I can bring I'll be happy to do. If he asks me to go on the ice and show the kids some tricks, I'll do it. But I don't want to get into Dave's job. He has full control. Me and Doug Armstrong are there to provide players to help him win the Stanley Cup, but if he asks me to be involved on the ice I will be more than happy to.

Joyce: Can you give us any details about the big wedding last weekend?

Guy Carbonneau: Well. …we had 260 guests, we had the ceremony at the church and we had the reception in my backyard. …so we had two huge tents set up in the back. One was a cocktail tent overlooking the pool, the other was a dining tent with a floor. …it was pretty big actually and it was a very good time. I think everyone had fun, the weather was awesome and there were no major accidents. Everything rolled really well. I think everyone enjoyed it and Brenden and Anne-Marie left for their honeymoon on Monday. They'll be back in Dallas in a couple of weeks.

Carl: What was it like playing with your new son in law?

Guy Carbonneau: Well, it was kind of strange once he started going out with Anne-Marie. The good thing was I had three or four months before that to get to know him and appreciate what kind of person he is and all his good qualities. After that it was just a few jokes here and there from the players, but more than anything that had to do with Brendan we always got along before and nothing ever changed. Even now we have a good relationship. We talk about hockey but not about business, and it's a lot of fun.

StarFan22: Do you think that having Andy Moog as a goalie coach will be a big help to Turco?

Guy Carbonneau: Definitely. The perfect example was here the last two years with Roland Melanson, our goalie coach in Montreal. Jeff Hackett has had a great career, and those two had a great deal to do with what Jose Theodore did here last year. You need talent and a good base, but having someone there every day to work with you. …that's something we never had before. We had defensive coaches, coaches who worked on the power play and penalty killing, but never with goaltending. If you look at the league now goaltending is numero uno. …If you don't have a good goaltender, forget about the Stanley Cup. So having someone to help every day is a big plus there

Sammy: Could you talk in detail about one of the plays which cemented your legend in Dallas, the goal you scored late to force overtime in the Conference Finals against Detroit? What exactly did you see on that play, because it seemed like you weren't going to stop until the puck went into the net.

Guy Carbonneau: Well. ..I don't know what I saw. I just tried though my career to do whatever was needed to win games. I always played that way since I was a kid. I'm the kind of guy that never dies until that whistle went after the 60 minute mark, I didn't want to stop. I just tried to do my job and get the puck in front of the net as quick as I could. When you get to the end of the game like that, you always try to tell the guys to get the puck out of your zone, and once it's in their zone, any shot on net is a good shot. I was lucky, it went off a stick and over the goalie's shoulder.

Lucy: You got to witness Saku Koivu's comeback first hand. Is that the most impressive thing you've seen in hockey?

Guy Carbonneau: I've seen people being sick and hurt and coming back, but you look at Saku. …When you have a nice guy you never wish him harm, and Saku is that kind of guy. He's been good in the community in Montreal, and the news was devastating for everybody. But gong from 60 percent chance of dying to coming back in the league is an unbelievable feat. And he didn't just come back, he came back and performed to a high level, and that is just amazing. The other guy I can relate to that is Lance Armstrong, battling cancer and coming back and winning the Tour De France three times. …Those aren't just athletes, they're unbelievable people.

ModanoMagic09: What will it be like when Hitchcock returns to Dallas to play the Stars?

Guy Carbonneau: I don't know. I think the people in Dallas like Ken. I think he did good things in Dallas. He was a good coach to play for, he was a tough coach, and in any of the sports, once you get to that three, four, five years it's a normal reaction from players, they want to have a change. I think that's what happened to Ken. I think it will be all right and everybody wishes him well in Philadelphia. As long as he comes in and loses the game I don't think anybody will care.

StarsFan35: How do you feel about the fact that nobody since you retired has worn No. 21 in Dallas? The fans feel it should be retired -- do you?

Guy Carbonneau: I don't know. That's not my decision to make. Since I've been gone in Montreal there's only been one guy wear it, and maybe nobody wants to wear it. It's a great honor when you hear those things that they don't want to give it away, but obviously it's not my decision. People now don't want to make the same mistake they made with Lemieux, retire a number and he comes back.

StarsFan1: In your playing days, which player did you think was the complete package? And which player in the league right now do you think is the best overall player?

Guy Carbonneau: Obviously in his days, Mark Messier was the first one to come to mind who had the toughness, the touch around the net, the leadership, he could make plays and finish plays. …He was probably the best. Before that I don't really remember anyone. Today. ..,guys like Forsberg, Bill Guerin I think is maybe not as much of a playmaker, but he's got the rest. Obviously it's so hard because everybody is so good at some things. …I think the best example would be Forsberg. He can play defense, he can score goals, he's tough to play against and he's good on draws

Ed: Every year the league All-Star game would pass on the great defensive players of the game (like you and Mike Keane). The NHL always questions why its All-Star game is so boring and why the goalies are getting bombed, but they never pick up true defensive defensemen or defensive forwards. Do you think that the NHL will ever recognize the talents of defensive-minded players in the All-Star game?

Guy Carbonneau: I don't think so, but I always said there should be two games. One for the superstars, because at that game people want to see open games without hits. When you play 82 games, and most of the guys asked to go there also play in Canada cup or the Olympics, and their season is long and tough, so they like that kind of game and that hurts the show. I wish they would make another game the next morning with plumbers on the ice, to see what kind of game they would have.

Spelunker: As someone who played next to Jere Lehtinen, what do you think of his abilities? Just how good is he?

Guy Carbonneau: Actually, he's awesome. I wish he would speak a little bit more, because he has everything else. He's a machine, he never stops, physically and mentally he's as tough as anybody in the league. He loves to compete and he's the kind of guy who never says die either. It's not a weakness, but I wish he would speak more and be a little bit more of a leader in the room.

star45: Where does Modano fit on the list of best overall player?

Guy Carbonneau: I think he's in my list in the top five. He's the kind of guy who has everything too. I said Peter because of the size. Mike maybe doesn't have the size and toughness, but he doesn't shy away from those plays either. I played with him five years and played against him before, and he's unbelievable. There's not too many things he can't do on the ice.

JoJo: Is it true that you sawed off the cast on your wrist during the 2000 Cup Finals?

Guy Carbonneau: We used to change the cast every couple days because after games it would get wet and mushy. …We used to change it a lot, and we would make one for practice, one for games that would last a little bit longer. We had fun me and Dave Surprenant to try and fix something that I could play with. …but yes, I sawed off a few ones

ModanoMagic09: :Do you think that with the guys we have now, we can bring the Cup back to Dallas?

Guy Carbonneau: Definitely. Like I said, this year was an off year, but with the additions we made this summer, and the from talking with the guys they are ready to come back. That's one thing they always have in Dallas, they have pride. They want to play, they are treated well by Mr. Hicks and the organization and they feel sad about what happened last year. They want to make it better next year. I see us having a great training camp and right from the start showing the league that we're back and to watch out.

Moderator: That's all the time we have, folks! Thanks so much for your questions, and thanks to Guy for taking the time to hang out with us! Any final thoughts, Guy?

Guy Carbonneau: Just keep watching the Dallas Stars, because we are coming and we are coming hard.

My abundant thanks to Joyce Coologhan for alerting me to this online chat and providing the transcript!