“I’d just like to thank Paul Holmgren, Ed Snider and Peter Luukko for giving me the opportunity to stay in the game that I have literally played all my life.   I am excited and I’m looking forward to it.” Q:  Has it ever been suggested that you become a medical marvel and make a come back? Hatcher:  “I have been asked that.  I had my knee replaced to better enhance my lifestyle, to go out there and be able to run around the kids a little bit and play soccer and stuff like that.  Let’s make that clear.  That’s why I had my knee replaced. Initially, I did talk to the doctors about this, to be honest with you.  Basically everything they said was ‘no way.’   You are better off with a hip—trying to come back from an artificial hip than with a knee.  There is no physical way you can rise to that level of competition and play that I would have to rise to.” Q:  How tough is that knowing mentally that you still want to play? Hatcher:   “It is tough.  I think kind of at the end of last year (2007-08) it was looming.  Originally, coming into camp last year I thought that I could probably come back to play.  I think that Paul Holmgren thought that, too.   As time progressed it just hit a wall and got worse, worse and worse.   But I think having those 3-4 months of being around the organization, being around the guys it really did make it a lot easier for me.  It wasn’t just cut and dry.  It is almost as if I was weaned into it.” Q:  What was your family’s reaction

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