TORONTO - It seems like an easy question: What's the best advice Dion Phaneuf has given you? But for Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner the answer isn't so simple. Why? Well, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain has passed on a lot of advice to his younger teammates over the years. 

“Ah, I don't really know,” said Rielly, pausing to think. “He gives me a lot, almost every day, not always about hockey. I don't know. It's a tough question. He just tells me to enjoy it.”

"He's given me a lot of advice over the years," said Gardiner. When pressed for the most pertinent detail, Gardiner offers this, "I'm a pretty relaxed guy and sometimes he tells me to dial-in and focus-in, so that's good to have that reminder sometimes."

Phaneuf has been in the spotlight ever since he was acquired by the Leafs in a blockbuster trade with the Calgary Flames just over six years ago. His play has been dissected in every conceivable way and his leadership questioned during some tough times for the team. But on Thursday, as Phaneuf prepared to play in his 800th career NHL regular season game, teammates and head coach Mike Babcock shone a light on a different side of the Edmonton native: elder statesman in the dressing room.

“He's a way better person than I could ever dreamed,” Babcock gushed. “He's way more committed [than I anticipated]. His off-ice living habits are fantastic, his weight-room commitment, his practice commitment is tremendous. His intensity, his ability to get on young guys supportively yet be demanding has been fantastic. He's been unreal - a great support to the coaching staff.”

When Phaneuf launched his NHL career in Calgary back in 2005 he leaned on veterans like Bryan Marchment, Jarome Iginla and Roman Hamrlik. Now he's evolved into the mentor role. 

“Every year you learn more and more,” said Phaneuf. “For me, I want to continue to help our younger guys. It's a tough position to play when you come into the league. When you're a defenceman at a young age it's a tough position to be in, but I think we’ve got a lot of real young good guys here who are taking steps in the right direction.”

Phaneuf has made it a priority to help guide the 21-year-old Rielly and 25-year-old Gardiner, though both note the relationship has really morphed into a regular friendship now.   

“He's taught me a lot, but I think I've learned the most from him just by watching him, the way he treats people, the way he approaches the game,” said Rielly, who was invited to spend time with Phaneuf at his P.E.I. home during the summer. “Each day, he approaches the game with the same attitude. He's been doing it a long time and the fact he has that motivation really speaks volumes about him.”

And while Phaneuf's day-to-day approach is remarkably consistent, he has changed over the years.  

“I look older,” Phaneuf quipped when asked about his transformation since Day 1 in the NHL. “But, you learn a lot. I've learned a lot over my career and as you get older you keep learning so I don't want to stop.”

The understanding that constant evolution is necessary for survival in the world's top league may be the best lesson Phaneuf can pass on. For now, he'll heed his own advice. There's one specific area in which Phaneuf is looking to adapt. 

“Right now the biggest thing is it's a fast game,” he noted, “It's a lot faster than it was even three years ago and it's going to continue to get faster. So as a player, as you get older you have to work harder to stay as fast as you possibly can to keep playing the game as long as you can.”

At 30, Phaneuf hopes he has many more NHL seasons in his future. Only 22 players have ever suited up in their 1,000th game for the Leafs with Eric Brewer the last to do it last season. Phaneuf could be the next.  

“I mean, he's got a lot of games left in him so I don't think we should be having this conversation just yet,” said Rielly with a smile. “He's a good friend and I'm happy for him reaching 800 and looking forward to 800 more maybe.”

Though he’s often times poker-faced when dealing with the media, Phaneuf did allow himself to get a bit reflective on Thursday morning. 

“It's very special any time you hit any type of milestone in the game,” he said. “You look at 400 as a Leaf, that was very special to me and now, playing my 800th, it just shows how fast time really does go. It has been a journey, one that I've really enjoyed every minute of. We're very lucky to do what we do, we play a game that we love, that we grew up loving and make a living doing it. It's very exciting to be here and to be able to say this is my 800th game, but the bottom line is it's business as usual.”