"At the end of the year, to be honest with you, I didn't know if I was going to come back. I needed that time to really think about my future. It was a tougher decision than I thought it was going to be at the end of the year. . . It's all about whether I feel I'm ready to go another year. That's the biggest thing for me: Am I prepared to do what it takes to be successful for another year. I know how much time you have to put in off the ice because playing hockey is the easy part." He noted that he had learned "that the older you get, the more you have to put in. Know what, it wouldn't be fair if you just showed up to the rink and say, 'OK, I'm ready to play," and not put in the time off the ice. It wouldn't be fair for yourself, it wouldn't be fair for the organization, it wouldn't be fair for anybody if you're not ready to do the things you need to do to be the best that you can be."Could be Good news for Flames fans though. Sakic has been a thorn in Calgary's side for years. He scored 8 goals and a mind boggling 20 points in just 8 games back in 06/07 alone.
Sakic confirmed the prevailing wisdom that he doesn't want to be anything other than a full-time, first-line center playing in the range of 20 minutes. "I have to be honest with my body and myself and know that if I come back, I want to come back and help the team, and help the team be successful," he said. "If I can't be that player, then I don't think it would be fair to the team or myself to play."
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