There was a lot of emotion involved. To be honest, I have more respect for Martin than since the day I met him. He was able to understand that he needed to take care of his family and his hockey family as well.

You have to have a desire to want to play and continue to battle. Sometimes, with an uphill battle like this one, you have passengers. It's hard because it's a tough game with a lot of adversity. Some guys just weren't up to the challenge.

With an affiliation, you can't depend on what (higher teams) are going to offer you. That's because whatever it is, it's going to be temporary. You just have to decide what the core of your team is going to be and build around your core.

It's frustrating. It's the midway point. We do have a young team, and some guys are adjusting to pro hockey. In the second half, we'll find who has the desire and commitment to play.

This (win) is a huge confidence-builder for us.

I knew once I scored this year that I would get more opportunities. So I've been able to relax a little bit.