It's definitely a different mind-set. I'll work just as hard if not harder. It's always felt like my season started Sept. 5 and not Oct. 5. Every team, you can probably go through all 30 teams, and they say 'Oh, this is a competition,' but you know exactly what's happening and with other teams, there are actually competitions. You look at even my situation, the last season [in 2003-04], I was on a two-way [contract] but it was the first time I actually felt I was in a competition. The two or three years before, the writing was basically on the wall. It didn't really matter. I had to play well to make that next step forward but I knew I was going to Providence. I think the last season was a legit competition. I had to play well and I actually had a shot and fortunately it worked out.
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