Season 23: 1998-99
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Season 23: 1998-99 |
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In December 1998, nhlpa.com spoke with
Guy Carbonneau about the upcoming milestone of his 1,200th NHL
game. He also talked about playing with Craig Ludwig throughout
his career, and the meaning of achieving this goal within days
of his teammate.
Q: Looking back to the early stages of your career, did you ever think you’d play in 1,200 NHL games?
"I think if you talk to any athlete, I don’t think when they start out their career they’re talking about, you know, ‘I want to play…’ I don’t think that’s one of their goals. You certainly want to try and win the Stanley Cup or whatever trophy you’re fighting for. You try to play as long as you can, but in a sport like we’re playing right now, to be able to do that, you have to be kind of lucky a little bit and you have to stay away from injuries."
Q: Since your first season in 1982-83, you haven’t missed a lot of games. Is there a secret to your longevity?
"I’m
sure luck is a big part of it. And pain. I’ve always been
able to play with pain and maybe there were some games that I
shouldn’t have played, but I think when you want to compete,
and Craig is the same way, you really need to be injured really
badly to miss a game. I think that’s the way you were brought
up when I started playing."
Q: As you look back on your career to date, what memories stand out?
"You certainly have to put the two Stanley Cups. I had the chance, over the years, over my 18-year career, to play with great athletes…Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson and Bob Gainey, and now it’s Brett Hull and Mike Modano and guys like that. So I think just being able to meet those guys and call them friends is a huge memory for me. The two Stanley Cups are definitely on top of that. There’s always first goal, first point, first game. There’s so many that it would be tough to just pick one."
Q: As a native of Quebec, playing 13 seasons of your career with the Canadiens is an obvious thrill.
"Well, just being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens I think was a highlight. If you look today, there’s so many sports on television you can see any team you want. And when I was a kid, the only team that was on TV was the Montreal Canadiens. And so growing up watching those guys and getting a chance to be drafted and play with some of the people that I was watching on TV was kind of amazing."
Q: You’ve played
the past four seasons in Dallas. What are some of the highlights?
"Well, just the fact that I’ve been reunited with Craig. We almost played our 1,000th game at the same time and then we’re almost going to play our 1,200th game at the same time. So that has been fun. If you look at the last two years here, we went from four years ago, five years ago missing the playoffs to the last two years being one of the best teams in the NHL. So just being a part of that process is a lot of fun."
Q: With all of the years that you’ve played with Craig, does anything in particular stand out?
"Not really. I think in one way, we’re kind of the same, the same mold and the same personality. I think I’m more involved in the room and I’ll bring my game to home a little bit more than Craig. Craig, once the game’s over, doesn’t want to hear about it. But, I think when we get into the room and get dressed and get onto the ice, I think our focus is to win the game and do whatever we have to do to win those games. So that’s been a great time and a lot of fun over the years."
Q: Tell us about reaching the 1,200 milestone within days of Craig.
"Me and Craig started our careers in the same year and the same place and when we played together…when I was in Montreal, Craig used to live close to my place and we were always together. And 18 years later, to be able to play and miss 1,200 games together by just two games, is kind of amazing. It’s been a long run and a lot of fun."
Q: After 1,200 games, what are your goals for the future?
"Well, I think definitely our goal here
in Dallas is to win another Cup. We were close last year, hopefully,
we can get to the end this year. After that, who knows? I take
it year by year. I said four years ago that this was going to
be my last year and I’m still playing. As long as I stay
healthy and the team needs me and I can still contribute, I think
I’ll play as long as I can. But, it’s getting harder
all the time to stay in shape and once you have injuries, which
I’ve been lucky lately, it’s tough to come back. So,
hopefully I can play maybe another year. Who knows?"
Postscript:
To read the story of Guy's (and Ludwig's) participation in the
1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs, click HERE.
Resources:
NHLPA interview with Ludwig and Carbonneau, Dec. 1998.
Dallas Stars Official 1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs Program.
Second
photo by Brad
Amodeo.
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