Quotes...
"When you go on the ice, as talented as your players are, it's competition. The other team may be just as talented, so you need to compete better than your opponents. That doesn't ensure victory, but it goes a long way toward it. You don't have to mention that word compete to Mark. He is that." - IceCats Coach Don Granato
"He's a kid that has a big heart and he definetly isn't afraid to work hard. He's got great work habits and when you talk to him you know that he's going to keep improving." - St. Louis Blues scout & former NHL player Bob Plager
"One of the biggest rushes for me is to score a goal. The fact that there are thousands there just adds to the rush." - Mark Rycroft
"When it comes down to the big play I want to be the guy with the puck. There's no question that I enjoy the last minutes of a game. I think being out there in the position to score the winning goal in a game is the ultimate feeling for a hockey player." - Mark Rycroft
"When you have a guy like Mark who's had to compete to get where he's at, for him it's real natural to work as hard as he does. When the puck drops, he competes. So hard, in fact, that it looks like he's a grinding type of player on the ice. He's one of those guys who has a lot of ability, and the ability to disguise his skill and talent. There's a lot more to him than what may appear." - Don Granato
"I've always prided myself on being a hard worker and I really do believe that good things do happen when you work hard in this game. I think that if I'm ever going to realize my dream of playing in the NHL it will only come if I keep working hard. It's as simple as that." - Mark Rycroft
"To me, he's a player that is going to score the big goals. He's a player that drives the net, goes to the net, and is always working in the offensive end." - Bob Plager
"He's done a lot for us. On the power play, specifically, he's helped us a ton. He likes to play in traffic, he's got a real good knack for scoring goals. He knows how. He finds a way. He's very determined. That's a very big part of it, but his ability is deceptive. He does some really, really good things from a skill and talent standpoint, but sometimes it's almost secondary because he's so strong in other areas." - Don Granato
