I want to be the top player in the league, and I want to bring my game to another level. I want to play against the opposition's best players-and I want to beat them.

The first step is to believe that it's possible. Once I had a taste of success, you start to believe in it a little more.

Growing up, I was always the only black kid on my team and (sometimes) I'd get questions from my friends when I'd say, `I want to be in the NHL' and they'd say, `Well, there are no black people or not very many in the NHL' and as a kid, you'd wonder why. But overall, I didn't really face any racial difficulties. Nothing too bad or too lasting.

He was yelling pretty urgently. There's different pitches of yell and he was screaming.

I kind of have to pinch myself. A lot of my dreams are coming true.