A model of success.(My Turn)

Since I was one of the first prominent minorities to play in the NHL and will be the first black player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, a lot of people refer to me as a role model for young, black players. But that's not something that I really worried about during my career. When I played in the early '80s, all of the focus was on winning. I didn't really get a chance to look around and see how I was affecting everything else because I was so worried about not being the person who let down my team.

But as my career wound down, I probably thought more about being a role model. In your final years as a player, you take more of an active role in helping some of the younger players. As time goes on, some kids come up to the NHL and when they're asked, they say, "Here's who I looked up to." That's a special feeling to be that guy. I have never talked to them about it directly, but I have heard that current players such as Jarome Iginla, Freddy Brathwaite, Kevin Weekes and Gerald Coleman, who just got drafted, saw me as a role model. That is nice.

I think I give young players a real person to look up to. A lot of kids look at athletes and say, "Wow, they never make mistakes." If somewhere along the way, a kid makes a mistake, he thinks there is no hope. I think I've been able to show that you can make mistakes, and it's how you react to those missteps that matters.

History will show that I probably wasn't the biggest angel who ever played the game. But despite the hard times, I turned out to be a good, successful person. The difficult times made me better. I think it shows kids that you can rebound from mistakes and accomplish your goals.

But while it's good to have athletes as role models, it's more important for parents to be sure they are role models to their children. As a parent, I try to set a good example to my kids. I was very fortunate to have parents who supported my dream to be a goalie. I'm proud to be seen as a role model, but I want parents and kids to realize that no ...