"Obviously there are not too many people who get a chance to play in the Olympics in their hometown. That would be something special, but going into the summer you have to be realistic with yourself, and health-wise and motivation-wise you have to be willing to do what it takes"
About this Quote
The subtext is partly about aging and the brutal math of elite sport. “Health-wise” isn’t just physical readiness; it’s a euphemism for the accumulating wear, the nagging injuries, the quiet negotiations with your own body. “Motivation-wise” is even more revealing. It admits that desire isn’t a given, even for legends. Playing at home isn’t automatically fuel; it can be pressure, expectation, distraction. Sakic treats motivation like a resource you either possess or you don’t, and one you have to prove through action, not sentiment.
Context matters: for Canadian hockey, the Olympics are a national referendum, and a hometown Games raises the emotional stakes to an almost civic level. Sakic’s intent is to manage that narrative. He’s signaling humility, but also accountability: if he goes, it’s not because the story is perfect, it’s because he’s “willing to do what it takes.” The line reads like a public statement, but it’s really an internal standard made audible.
Quote Details
| Topic | Training & Practice |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Sakic, Joe. (2026, January 18). Obviously there are not too many people who get a chance to play in the Olympics in their hometown. That would be something special, but going into the summer you have to be realistic with yourself, and health-wise and motivation-wise you have to be willing to do what it takes. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/obviously-there-are-not-too-many-people-who-get-a-10900/
Chicago Style
Sakic, Joe. "Obviously there are not too many people who get a chance to play in the Olympics in their hometown. That would be something special, but going into the summer you have to be realistic with yourself, and health-wise and motivation-wise you have to be willing to do what it takes." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/obviously-there-are-not-too-many-people-who-get-a-10900/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Obviously there are not too many people who get a chance to play in the Olympics in their hometown. That would be something special, but going into the summer you have to be realistic with yourself, and health-wise and motivation-wise you have to be willing to do what it takes." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/obviously-there-are-not-too-many-people-who-get-a-10900/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.







