Especially those times in the Olympic Village.
Here's what makes it so special.
As NHL players, you take charter flights to road games, you stay in nice hotels, all of it. You're shielded, in a way.
The Olympics are different. And one of the coolest parts of it is, you are staying in the athletes' village. You get to be around all of these other amazing athletes who have sacrificed so much to get to this point.
Every time I talk to a player who is going to the Olympics, I always tell them to take the time to introduce themselves to these people.
They all know who you are because you're an NHL player, so they're rarely going to come and say hi to you. They are being respectful and don't want to bother you. So make sure you introduce yourself first. In that way you're going to make people comfortable. And just hear their stories, because you're going to be amazed at the paths they took and what it took for them to be there.
For me, that's what I love the most about the village. Because you're kind of seeing your peers of your country living their dreams.
I mean, we're all living our dreams, but it's such a different path for them to get there. For us, it's like almost a bonus to play in the Olympics. We play in the NHL. That's what we want to do.
But you get to the Olympics and you see, like, a skier or speed skater, and this guy worked four years just to qualify, and next thing you know they could stumble or fall in the first five feet, and his dream vanishes. Just like that. And so it's such a crazy environment. It's special that you're able to be part of their lives too, win or lose.
Because whatever you're going to do, I know you have to concentrate on hockey. But whatever you do, these people will take their interactions with you back home with them for the rest of their lives, no matter how they performed in their own sport.
And it creates memories that will stick with you.
Here's an example.
Back in 1998, I was named as one of the goalies for Canada with Patrick Roy and Curtis Joseph for the Games in Nagano, Japan. Patrick was obviously the No. 1 guy but I was just honored to have been picked for the team at an event that featured NHL players in the Olympics for the first time. My dad, Denis, had been a goalie and helped Canada win a bronze at the 1956 Olympic Games in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, so the entire Olympic experience meant a lot to me.
Patrick played great. Even though we didn't win gold, we allowed just nine goals in six games. And even though I didn't end up playing a single minute, I soaked up everything around the Games.
On one particular day I remember going up to a long-distance cross-country skier who didn't fare well in his event.
"Dude, I can't believe you finished dead last," I said to him.
He looked at me and said, "Well Marty, at least I played in the Olympics."
I laughed so hard. Because he was right. He had competed, no matter what the result. And that's what the Olympics are all about.
I ended up spending a lot of time with him, and learned what it took just for him to be there. You know, a lot of these athletes, they can't afford to bring their families over. I mean, I'm sitting there with my siblings and wife and kids, and they're all staying at the hotel. Meanwhile, some of these other athletes, they've financially spent everything they have to be there and compete in their sport. They don't have anything left to bring their family over. And if they do, it's minimal.
As hockey players, it's important to remember that. And to appreciate what they've been through. It's important to have perspective, and see the sacrifices others have made to get here.
After all, that's what the Olympic spirit is all about.
