"I was lying to myself more than anybody," Laperriere said in a candid interview. "I always found excuses. I always looked for something to explain my symptoms. I went out there and I had headaches, but it's a hockey game. I would say, 'Maybe I'm dehydrated. I should drink more, maybe I did too much today, maybe I didn't have enough sleep, maybe the dog woke me up' . . . When you want to play, you're always finding excuses."