Since the return of the great Bobby Holik, I figured I would dedicate a page to his hilarious candid quotes and interviews. The guy keeps it real, plain and simple. If you have anything else that I might have missed let me know.
Holik making fun of Mike Mottau’s shot
2001-2002 Bobby Holik Has the Answers
Bobby on playing Coach Brent Sutter’s son for the first time
http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2009/01/no-special-treatment-for-coachs-son.html#more
I asked several Devils today what they would do Tuesday night if they have to go into the corner with Carolina’s rookie center Brandon Sutter — who happens to be the 19-year-old son of Devils coach Brent Sutter.
Center Bobby Holik gave the best answer.
“I kill him,” he said.
Holik paused for a moment and then joked, “Oh, you said Brandon Sutter. Then, I give him the puck and skate away.”
Holik on scrimmaging against Coach Sutter
http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2009/02/brodeur-ready-for-full-practice.html
They finished up Broduer’s session with a three-on-three scrimmage. It was Sutter, Pandolfo and Leach against Rupp, Holik and Clarkson. Sutter said his team lost 2-1. He appeared pretty winded near the end and Holik jokingly called for a timeout to give Sutter some rest.
When I asked Holik, which team won the scrimmage, he replied, “Do you have to ask? For the second half of the game, we played three-on-two because one of their players was keeled over and couldn’t catch his breath anymore.”
Brodeur joked that Holik, who has a penchant for running goalies, was not allowed within 10 feet of him while on the ice. The regular crease is not big enough.
“It’s like a soccer crease for him,” Brodeur said.
Holik’s special Brodeur Moment
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3987899&name=nhl
“1998. It’s like this time of the year, probably exactly the same time. Monday morning, practice in the Meadowlands. We were doing shootouts way before the NHL thought it was cool. I scored nine in a row on him. I said, ‘I quit. This is a mercy call.’ I went off the ice because I could have kept on scoring.
“I didn’t score for the next 23 games. At that time, I had 29 goals. There were 16 games left in the season, and I didn’t score for the rest of the season, and I didn’t score for seven more games the next year.”
Does he think Brodeur cursed him?
“Yeah, so I don’t score on him as much in the practice.”
Bobby on not playing in the 3rd period of Feb. 15th’s 6-5 win over the Sharks
http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2009/02/a_closer_look_at_the_devils_vi.html
Bobby Holik did not play at all in the third period. He finished with eight shifts totaling 5:27.
“I’m a player,” he said. “I don’t analyze.”
Bobby when asked who his pick for the Super Bowl was
http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2009/02/devils-riding-cardinals-bandwagon.html
My survey of the locker room today revealed that about two thirds of the Devils are picking the Arizona Cardinals to upset the Steelers in the Super Bowl today.
Only two players didn’t provide predictions. Brendan Shanahan claimed not to know who was playing before picking, “The Argos.” Bobby Holik said, “I don’t care.”
“I just hope it’s a close game, so I don’t have to make chit chat with people.”
Bobby on first game back from broken pinky
http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2008/12/progress-for-rolston.html#more
Devils center Bobby Holik sounded like he was satisfied with his play tonight in his first game back after missing 18 with a broken right pinky. He played only seven shifts for 4:51 in ice time, but missed some time in the first period after he was struck above the left eye with the puck 10 seconds into his first shift of the game and needed three stitches to close the resulting cut.
“I don’t go down like the rest of them,” Holik said. “I just take it and go on.”
That seemed to be a reference to Andrei Markov’s reaction to be struck in the nose with a puck that deflected off Zach Parise’s stick in the third period. Markov reacted as if he had been shot. He threw off his helmet and rushed off the ice.
Holik evaluated his performance as, “fine. I had no expectations.”
Bobby on playing on Christmas
http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2009/01/devils-dont-want-to-play-on-christmas.html#more
As you might have imagined, Bobby Holik was among the most vocal on this subject and expressed his opinion to Kelly when the subject came up during his Fall visit with the team.
“I told Paul Kelly, ‘Absolutely not,’” Holik said. “I don’t agree with that. It’s another non-unique idea that the NHL has or the NHLPA. I know he has asked the PA over his, what is he calling it? ‘The Fall tour.’ Are we doing it for the hockey fans or are we trying to gain fans by it? Hockey fans will watch hockey no matter when it’s on, but if they’re doing it to expose hockey to more fans, let me tell you, they’re watching the NBA and they’re watching football or everything else, or the Wizard of Oz.”
Bobby on being benched after interference penalty
http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2009/02/weekes-comes-through-holik-what-benching.html#more
When I asked Bobby Holik after the game about being benched for the last 13:45 of the second period after his goaltender interference penalty led to Kyle Okposo’s power-play goal, he pretended as if it didn’t happen.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. “Maybe it was a strategy.”
Bobby on rare faceoff penalty called on the Devils against the Thrashers
http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2009/02/devils-whistled-for-rare-penalty.html#more
“It was a 3-0 call,” Bobby Holik said simply, referring to the score at the time. “I think it was the first time ever for the teams I’ve played for.”
Holik on breaking his pinky
http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2008/11/holik-gets-pins-out.html#more
“I saw something,” Holik said. “I didn’t know it was the bone. I thought it was the muscle or the meat of the finger. At the time, I was (angry) I had to leave the ice on the power play. I don’t get out there much.”
“We’re hockey players. We want to play hockey,” he said. “You have to understand that when I was I was injured, I thought I was just going off to get stitched up and I was upset because we were moving the puck well on the power play and I wanted to get back out there. I had no idea I had a compound fracture in my hand.”
Bobby on being Atlanta’s Captain
http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2008/10/holik-im-not-ca.html#more
“I guess I’m just too blunt about some things or too honest,” said Holik, who will return to Altanta with the Devils on Thursday night. “You would think it would be a strength or a good thing about a captain, but not the way I am, I guess, at times. At least, I don’t think it worked out that well there. But, forget that. It was a great honor to be named captain of an NHL team and I valued it pretty highly.”
Bobby on hearing some boo’s opening night
http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2008/10/salmela-wasnt-s.html#more
Bobby Holik, who had been strongly booed in New Jersey in the five seasons after he left the Devils to join the Rangers (and then Atlanta), heard mostly cheers when he was announced in the pre-game ceremony, but there were few boos mixed in. “They probably were Islanders’ fans,” Holik joked.
Holik, who signed a one-year deal to return to New Jersey on July 1, said he “heard (the crowd), but I don’t pay attention to it.”
Bobby on diving
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02062009/sports/devils/devils_refuse_to_dive_to_gain_man_advant_153765.htm
“I have answers, but they’re not printable as long as I’m an active player,” Bobby Holik said. “Maybe nobody feels sorry for big, strong teams. They think these guys can take more punishment.”
“Players who are going to embellish, they’re not welcome here. Zach has all the abilities, and he doesn’t dive,” Holik said. “[Not diving] is expected here, not only [pointing upstairs, as in Lou Lamoriello], but it’s expected in this room, too.”
Holik on his wrestling match with Gomez (3-30-09)
http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2009/03/new_jersey_devils_david_clarks_2.html
Holik said he didn’t know it was Gomez he was tussling with at first.
“To be honest with you, I thought it was Avery,” he said laughing.
When did he realize it was Gomez?
“When I threw him around like a rag doll,” he said.
He then admitted, “No I think he stepped on his stick.”
“I had no idea who it was,” Holik said. “I had no idea who it was. I was trying to poke at the puck and somebody came and you know I don’t discriminate.”
Did Gomez say anything?
“Well, he apologized,” Holik said. “No, he didn’t say anything.”
Did Holik say anything to Gomez?
“Yeah, I said, ‘Don’t do it again’,” Holik said.
