You can have the biggest markets in the world, but if the game isn't exciting, compelling, and competitive, it's not going to generate a lot of interest.

We're certainly not in position to expand into the East. We've been very candid and up front that if, in fact, we go through an expansion process, the world will know about it.

Our economics are not baseball's economics. Our game is not baseball's game. Our owners are not baseball's owners, with one or two exceptions. Our union is not baseball's union. What we do has to be crafted and suited to address hockey, to address the NHL, to address our 30 teams and our 700-plus players.

We did the World Cup to relaunch our international efforts, and that served as a foundation.

At least two or three of the leagues in Europe over the last few months have said to us, 'We hope you go to the Olympics,' and I looked at them, and I said, 'Why?' and they go, 'Because if you don't send NHL players, we have to send our players, and that's way too disruptive to our season.'

Whatever you do needs to be sustainable over time, and taking the money in the short term and taking it in a bubble - like buying an Internet stock in 2000 - may not be sustainable.

What our fans want, what our fans believe, what our fans are interested in is why we are what we are. But, nevertheless, ultimately we have to do the things that we believe are essential for the long-term health of the game, of the league, and of all of our franchises.

There are lots of come-from-behind wins, games getting tied in the last period, teams going on to win. That, I think, tells the best story. Whether or not some teams have more grit, better chemistry, or more luck or more skill, it's still within the parameters. I think that makes for great storytelling and great interest for our fans.

We just want to see entertaining, exciting games, and we want the officials to do a good job.

I couldn't do what I do day-in and day-out if I didn't love the game.

I think there's always a line between what is parody in good fun in chanting and what is intended to belittle certain segments of society.

I'm not here to win a popularity contest.

Doing jersey advertising for the World Cup is not in the same universe as putting advertising on NHL sweaters.

If you want to know how I feel, I'll summarize it in one word - terrible.

From as early as I can remember, I was focused on becoming a lawyer.

We can't think in terms of designing products that we throw over the wall to customers, but instead, we need to design products that are upgradable and maintainable and that can be mined for materials and components that can be reused.

If we are going to get a grip on escalating costs, we have to focus more on prevention rather than acute care. Technology can help us do that.

As soon as a disease is diagnosed, we still need someone to deliver the care.

How can we keep people healthy, and if they get sick, how can we treat them right the first time?

Sometimes that Dutch consensus approach doesn't move you forward fast enough.

We started experimenting with television in 1928. For a lot of people, Philips has a lot to do with TV.

I came back to Philips and quickly realised that the TV business had a major performance issue and some structural challenges. Rather than try to tweak it and sit things out, we said we had to go for a structural solution.

In the back of my mind was the nagging discussion: where do we take the portfolio? You can get rid of TV, fine, but then you are in lighting and in health, and those don't have a lot to do with each other.

When you try to master the emotions of a decision and say, if you're 50 years from now and you look back, 'Did we take the right decisions?' Then the decision becomes a lot easier.