Moderator
Patrick will be joining us momentarily. We are ready to begin.

JoeyOey19
Hey Patty, I know it's tough losing 3 players you knew well, but what are your thoughts on the Joe Thornton trade and have you been following your former teammates on the Bruins?

Patrick Marleau
It was very tough to lose friends I broke into the league with. I got close to them all, especially Primeau during the lockout. It's the business side of sports that happens all the time. Joe is a great guy to have on the team. I wish everybody success and I do try to watch them a bit in Boston. I looks like everybody's doing well.

jaredblo
Who is the hardest defenseman who you have played against this year?

Patrick Marleau
Chris Pronger is always hard to play against and Scott Niedermayer in Anaheim. There's quite a few in our division.

byrddog
Patrick, how do you see the Western Conference this year, first through eighth, for the playoffs?

Patrick Marleau
It's gonna come right down till the end. You can already tell that the games are heating up. A lot of division games are huge games and especially ours. It's seems we are playing division rivals all the time.

Guest
There are some folks that think you don't have a strong enough personality to be captain. What is your response to that?

Patrick Marleau
They don't really know me. You hear that sometimes in the media. The thing about our club is we have a bunch of leaders and we all work together. I've been in the locker room with a bunch of great leaders over the years, so that's helped a lot. My job has been made easier because of that.

habs911
Patrick, did the lockout affect your game and is there one rule you dislike?

Patrick Marleau
I don't really know if the lockout affected my game. The full training camp helped get my game back to where it was. I pretty much like the rules. It's made the games a lot quicker and more exciting. The competition committee did a good job.

nboisseranc
Hi Patrick. It's great to see the team on a such a roll. I loved seeing the physical side of your game last night in LA. Will we see more of that as the season rolls on?

Patrick Marleau
As the games get more competitive, being physical is something you need. I think you'll see more of that from us as we draw towards the playoffs. We have to create more space and give us a give us an opportunity to score.

license2chill
Patrick, if you could play with any current player in the NHL, who would it be, and why?

Patrick Marleau
I know there's a lot of great wingers and scorers out there. I'd like to play with Ilya Kovalchuk, Dany Heatley or Marian Hossa, guys that are a threat to score every time if you can get them the puck.

shield4life
Patrick, what was your reaction when you got wind of Mario Lemieux's retirement? How will you remember Super Mario?

Patrick Marleau
Of course, you like to see Mario out there playing. He has his reasons for retiring. I'll remember watching him at home and just being Super Mario out there on the ice with the Penguins.

freezy39
Patrick, do you think the Sharks need some more veterans on the team? I know you've got many seasons under your belt, but there aren't many others in their 30s besides Scotty Thornton?

Patrick Marleau
No, I think we're alright. As I said earlier, there are guys around here that are good players and leaders. Plus, we've all played with some solid leaders in the past and know what needs to be done. We have young guys with six, seven years experience.

marleaufan
Patrick, in my mind, you've proved yourself on the ice. How do you feel about being excluded from the Olympics?

Patrick Marleau
The only thing I can control is going out and playing. It's disappointing not making it, but we have a great team heading over to Torino and I hope they bring back the gold. In four years, I hope to get my shot.

BebopRSteady
Who has influenced you the most in your hockey career?

Patrick Marleau
A few people have over the years. When I was younger, I'd say my dad. My first year here, I was with Kelly Hrudey. I learned a lot from him and a few years ago I was with Adam Oates. I've played with Gary Suter and Tony Granato. All great guys that you learn a lot from.

zimmer12
Hey Patrick, of all the goaltenders in the league, which, in your opinion, is the toughest to score on?

Patrick Marleau
It'd have to be Martin Brodeur. He's real tough and I played with him on the World Championship team. He really competes in practice, too. Marty Turco is another guy out there that challenges the shooters and is tough to beat.

seanhendo
Do the Sharks feel they can still catch Dallas? Who are your favorite players to watch in the league?

Patrick Marleau
Right now our focus is winning games and getting in the playoff picture. As for watching players, there are too many out there these days. Since you asked about Dallas, I'd say Mike Modano. In Vancouver, Markus Naslund, and in Calgary, Jarome Iginla. There are stars on every team, so it's fun to watch them perform.

blazini
For all the diet curious fans, what's your favorite meal before a game?

Patrick Marleau
A salad with pasta and chicken.

vincevince
What kind of training do you do to maintain your amazing skating speed?

Patrick Marleau
I do weight-lifting and plyometrics. I do a lot of jumps and agility training with cones. It works your fast-twitch muscles.

theVERVE
Why do you think San Jose is always off many people's radars of contending teams, yet, they are always right up there?

Patrick Marleau
Well, I think the West Coast doesn't get as much attention as the East Coast teams. But hopefully when we win a Stanley Cup the attention and respect will come our way.

chrisl19
Hi Patrick, alot of people say that the Western Conference is alot different then the Eastern Conference. What kind of differences did you see?

Patrick Marleau
I guess from talking to Joe Thornton, who played in the East for a long time until recently, things are tighter defensively in the West. He also said the defenseman in the East, like Hal Gill and Zdeno Chara, are much bigger and stronger. In the West, the guys are smaller and more mobile on defense.

AlX
Hi Pat, how much has your game changed since Joe Thornton came over from Boston?

Patrick Marleau
It hasn't really changed at all. It's been good to get out against different line combinations. Some teams will focus on shutting down Joe and I'll get more opportunities that game.

kimnjerry
Patrick: In honor of our favorite hockey player, we named our cat "Marleau." You've been an outstanding person, as well as a player, and we hope that the first Sharks number to be retired is yours. Although we're doing better recently, why do we have so many problems with the power play?

Patrick Marleau
I think the last few games we've gotten some timely goals on our power play. We just have to stick with it and not get down on ourselves. You keep working on it and eventually it will get better. We've had some good goals, like Nils Ekman's the other day, and hope to build off it.

OrTUm77
What do you think about this year's rookie class?

Patrick Marleau
I think it's probably one of the better ones. With the new rules, it allows them to showcase their skills more right from the start. Guys like Crosby, Ovechkin and Svatos have benefitted and it makes the game much easier for them.

panoof
What kind of music do you listen to and what band/group/singer is your favorite?

Patrick Marleau
I listen to everything: rap, country and alternative. To pick a favorite is tough. I do enjoy every type of music. I love George Strait and went to his concert.

Moderator
Patrick has to get going now. Thanks for all your questions, we hope you enjoyed the chat. We'll be having another chat next week, so please tune to chat.nhl.com for more information. Thanks again!

Patrick Marleau
Thanks for all your questions. If you're a Sharks fan out here in the San Jose area I look forward to seeing you at the Shark Tank. Otherwise, for you other fans, keep on watching. We appreciate the support!