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Mark Recchi

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Mark Recchi
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2017
Recchi in March 2018
Born (1968-02-01) February 1, 1968 (age 56)
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Left
Played for Pittsburgh Penguins
Philadelphia Flyers
Montreal Canadiens
Carolina Hurricanes
Atlanta Thrashers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Boston Bruins
National team  Canada
NHL draft 67th overall, 1988
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 1988–2011
Medal record
Representing  Canada
World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1997 Finland
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 1988 Soviet Union

Mark Louis Recchi (/rɛkɪ/; born February 1, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger and current assistant coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the fourth round, 67th overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft and played a total of 22 seasons in the NHL for the Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Atlanta Thrashers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins. Recchi won the Stanley Cup three times in his playing career: in 1991 with the Penguins, in 2006 with the Hurricanes, and in 2011 with the Bruins. During the 2010-11 season, Recchi was the last active player who had played in the NHL in the 1980s. Subsequently, in Game 2 of the 2011 Finals, Recchi became the oldest player ever to score in a Stanley Cup Finals game at age 43. On June 26, 2017, in his fourth year of eligibility, Recchi was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.[1]

Playing career

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Recchi played his junior hockey for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). His number 8 was retired by the team shortly after he left for the NHL. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, first playing in the NHL in 1988, and was a key player on their Stanley Cup-winning team in 1991.

The following season, Recchi was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers as part of a deal that brought Rick Tocchet and Kjell Samuelsson to Pittsburgh. He played for Philadelphia from 1992 to 1995 as part of the "Crazy Eights" line with Eric Lindros and Brent Fedyk, including a 53-goal, 70-assist and 123-point season in 1992–93, still the Flyers' single-season point-scoring record. In 1995, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in a deal for Éric Desjardins, Gilbert Dionne and John LeClair, but was reacquired by the Flyers late in the 1998–99 season and was consistently among their top scorers.

During the 1999–2000 season, Recchi was a finalist for the Lester B. Pearson Award as the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) MVP, and he finished third in scoring, only five points behind winner Jaromír Jágr and runner-up Pavel Bure. Recchi also finished third in voting for the NHL All-Star team right wing position behind Jágr and Bure. In 2000 and 2004, the Flyers would make the Eastern Conference Finals, but they would bow out of each series in seven games.

In 2000, Recchi was named "Kamloops Male Athlete of the 20th Century", and had a street named "Mark Recchi Way" in his honour.

In August 2004, Recchi rejoined the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent, signing a two-year contract with a two-way option for a third year.[2] The first year was eventually nullified by the NHL lock-out; in the second year, with the Penguins languishing at the bottom of the NHL standings, Recchi waived his no-trade clause to be sent to the Stanley Cup-contending Carolina Hurricanes at the deadline for minor-league forward Krys Kolanos, left wing Niklas Nordgren and a 2007 second-round pick. Recchi won his second Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes that season, then re-signed with the Penguins during the summer of 2006 off-season.

Recchi skating with the Penguins in 2007

On January 20, 2007, he scored his seventh career hat-trick (against the Toronto Maple Leafs), and just under a week later, Recchi scored his 500th career goal on January 26, 2007, on the power play against the Dallas Stars.

During the summer of 2007, Recchi re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins on a one-year, $2 million contract,[3] but on December 4, he was placed on waivers and assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, on December 6.[4] The Penguins then placed Recchi on re-entry waivers the next day, where Recchi was claimed by the Atlanta Thrashers.[5] In his first game against his former team, he scored the game-winning goal in a shootout.

On July 7, 2008, Recchi signed a one-year deal as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning. After scoring 45 points in 62 games with the Lightning in the 2008–09 season, and with the Lightning out of playoff contention, on March 4, 2009, Recchi was traded at the trade deadline (along with a second-round pick in 2010) to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Mārtiņš Karsums and Matt Lashoff. Recchi scored his first two goals for the Bruins three days later on March 7, as the first and third Bruins goals in a 5–3 home ice defeat of the visiting Chicago Blackhawks.

Recchi with the Bruins in 2009

On July 2, 2009, Recchi re-signed with the Bruins on a one-year contract. At the time, Recchi had stated that the 2009–10 season would be his final year.[6] With the retirement of Joe Sakic in the summer of 2009, Recchi became the leader in points and assists among active players. Recchi would serve as an alternate captain during the season while Marc Savard was injured and out of the line-up, playing 81 of 82 games in the 2009–10 season.

During the 2010 playoffs, Recchi became the third-oldest player to score a playoff goal, behind Chris Chelios and Gordie Howe, and also became the oldest player to have a multi-goal game in the playoffs when he scored two goals in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of the second round.[7] After suffering defeat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Flyers, instead of retiring, Recchi re-signed with the Bruins for a one more year.

In the 2010–11 season on November 24, 2010, Recchi scored twice against the Florida Panthers to earn his 1,500th career point.

In Game 2 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, Recchi became the oldest ever player to score a goal in a Stanley Cup Finals, doing so at age 43.[8] In Game 3 of the Finals, he scored the final two goals of his career. On June 15, 2011, Recchi became a three-time winner of the Stanley Cup and joined Jack Marshall, Frank Foyston, Jack Walker, Mike Keane, Claude Lemieux, Hap Holmes, Al Arbour, Gord Pettinger, Larry Hillman, and Joe Nieuwendyk in winning at least three Stanley Cups with three different teams, as the Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Recchi also led the team in scoring during the Finals series.

Having previously announced he would "sail off into the sunset" if Boston were victorious in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals,[9] he announced his retirement in an interview with Ron MacLean of Hockey Night in Canada during the post-game Stanley Cup celebration.[10] Recchi was the last player active in professional hockey who had played in the NHL in the 1980s, finishing his career fourth all-time in games played and 12th all-time in points.

Assistant coach for the Penguins in 2018

Post-retirement

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Recchi is a co-owner of the Kamloops Blazers, along with Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi and Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan and Darryl Sydor.[11]

In 2013, Recchi joined the Dallas Stars as a consultant along with former Stars Mike Modano and Marty Turco.[12]

On July 18, 2014, Recchi was hired as the Pittsburgh Penguins' player development coach. He was a part of the 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup champion teams.[13] He was subsequently promoted to director of player development on June 15, 2017.[14] He was named the assistant coach on July 11, 2017, following the departure of Rick Tocchet, who was named the head coach of the Arizona Coyotes.[15][16]

Recchi did not have his contract renewed by the Penguins following the 2019-20 season.[17]

Recchi was hired by the New Jersey Devils as an assistant coach on September 8, 2020.[18] He was subsequently fired by the Devils on May 4, 2022. The Columbus Blue Jackets hired Recchi as an assistant coach on September 25, 2023.[19]

Personal life

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Mark Recchi was born on February 1, 1968, to Mel and Ruth Recchi in Kamloops, British Columbia. Mark has three brothers: Marty, Mike and Matt.[20]

Recchi married Kim Lazur on August 20, 2016,[21] and they have two children together. Recchi has six children in total, four from a previous marriage. The children's names are: Christina, Bella, Samantha, Brendan, Cameron and Austin.[20]

Awards and achievements

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Mark Recchi, alternate captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, in 2006
Recchi in 2006 with the Penguins.
Award Year(s)
WHL West first All-Star team 1988
Stanley Cup champion 1991 (Pittsburgh), 2006 (Carolina), 2011 (Boston) as a player,
2016, 2017 (Pittsburgh) as a development coach
NHL All-Star Game 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997 (named MVP), 1998, 1999, 2000
NHL second All-Star team 1992
Eddie Shore Award 2010

Records

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  • His 123 points (53 goals, 70 assists) in the 1992–1993 season is the Flyers regular season scoring record.
  • Oldest player to record 5 assists in a game on March 1, 2009, at 41 years, 28 days.
  • Oldest player to score a Stanley Cup Finals goal on June 6, 2011, at 43 years, 126 days.

NHL transactions

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Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1984–85 Langley Eagles BCHL 51 26 39 65 39 — — — — —
1984–85 New Westminster Bruins WHL 4 0 1 1 0 — — — — —
1985–86 New Westminster Bruins WHL 72 21 40 61 55 — — — — —
1986–87 Kamloops Blazers WHL 40 26 50 76 63 13 3 16 19 17
1987–88 Kamloops Blazers WHL 62 61 93 154 75 17 10 21 31 18
1988–89 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 15 1 1 2 0 — — — — —
1988–89 Muskegon Lumberjacks IHL 63 50 49 99 86 14 7 14 21 28
1989–90 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 74 30 37 67 44 — — — — —
1989–90 Muskegon Lumberjacks IHL 4 7 4 11 2 — — — — —
1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 78 40 73 113 48 24 10 24 34 33
1991–92 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 58 33 37 70 78 — — — — —
1991–92 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 22 10 17 27 18 — — — — —
1992–93 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 84 53 70 123 95 — — — — —
1993–94 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 84 40 67 107 46 — — — — —
1994–95 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 10 2 3 5 12 — — — — —
1994–95 Montreal Canadiens NHL 39 14 29 43 16 — — — — —
1995–96 Montreal Canadiens NHL 82 28 50 78 69 6 3 3 6 0
1996–97 Montreal Canadiens NHL 82 34 46 80 58 5 4 2 6 2
1997–98 Montreal Canadiens NHL 82 32 42 74 51 10 4 8 12 6
1998–99 Montreal Canadiens NHL 61 12 35 47 28 — — — — —
1998–99 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 10 4 2 6 6 6 0 1 1 2
1999–00 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 28 63 91 50 18 6 12 18 6
2000–01 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 69 27 50 77 33 6 2 2 4 2
2001–02 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 80 22 42 64 46 4 0 0 0 2
2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 79 20 32 52 35 13 7 3 10 2
2003–04 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 26 49 75 47 18 4 2 6 4
2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 63 24 33 57 56 — — — — —
2005–06 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 20 4 3 7 12 25 7 9 16 18
2006–07 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 82 24 44 68 62 5 0 4 4 0
2007–08 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 19 2 6 8 12 — — — — —
2007–08 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 53 12 28 40 20 — — — — —
2008–09 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 62 13 32 45 20 — — — — —
2008–09 Boston Bruins NHL 18 10 6 16 2 11 3 3 6 0
2009–10 Boston Bruins NHL 81 18 25 43 34 13 6 4 10 6
2010–11 Boston Bruins NHL 81 14 34 48 35 25 5 9 14 8
NHL totals 1,652 577 956 1,533 1,033 189 61 87 148 93

International

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Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
1988 Canada WJC 7 0 5 5 4
1990 Canada WC 5 0 2 2 2
1993 Canada WC 8 2 5 7 2
1997 Canada WC 9 3 3 6 0
1998 Canada OLY 5 0 2 2 0
Junior totals 7 0 5 5 4
Senior totals 27 5 12 17 4

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bombulie, Jonathan (June 26, 2017). "Former Penguin Recchi Elected into Hockey Hall of Fame". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  2. ^ Molinari, Dave (March 3, 2006). "Recchi softens stance on possible trade". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on June 26, 2007. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  3. ^ McKenzie, Bob (2007). "Penguins re-sign Roberts, Recchi". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
  4. ^ "Pittsburgh Penguins assign veteran Recchi to AHL Wilkes-Barre". National Hockey League. 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2007. [dead link]
  5. ^ "Thrashers get Recchi off re-entry waivers". The Sports Network. December 5, 2007. Archived from the original on December 9, 2007. Retrieved December 5, 2007.
  6. ^ "Recchi re-signs with Bruins, announces final year". National Hockey League. July 2, 2009. Retrieved July 2, 2009.
  7. ^ "Recchi becomes third oldest playoff goal scorer". National Hockey League. April 15, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  8. ^ "Mark Recchi's Game 2 goal made him the oldest goal scorer in Stanley Cup finals history". nbcsports.com. June 5, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
  9. ^ Murphy, James (June 15, 2011). "Source: Mark Recchi plans to retire". ESPN Boston. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  10. ^ Pepin, Matt. "Report: Mark Recchi announces retirement". Boston Globe. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  11. ^ "Meet the Kamloops Blazers' Owners". Kamloops Blazers. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  12. ^ "Stars to hold press conference Thursday in which they add Mike Modano, Marty Turco and Mark Recchi to the organization". Dallas Morning News. January 15, 2013. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  13. ^ "Penguins Name Mark Recchi Player Development Coach". NHL.com. July 18, 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  14. ^ Mackey, Jason. "Bill Guerin named GM of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  15. ^ Crechiolo, Michelle (July 11, 2017). "Recchi behind the bench will be "seamless fit"". NHL.com. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  16. ^ Rosen, Dan (July 11, 2017). "Rick Tocchet named coach of Coyotes". NHL.com. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  17. ^ "Penguins dismiss assistant coaches Sergei Gonchar, Jacques Martin, Mark Recchi | TribLIVE.com". triblive.com. August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  18. ^ "Recchi hired by Devils as assistant coach". NHL.com. September 8, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  19. ^ "Nasreddine, Recchi Will Not Return". NHL.com. May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Kasan, Sam (November 14, 2017). "Induction: Recchi joins a prestigious group in Hall of Fame". NHL.com. Pittsburgh Penguins. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  21. ^ @Markrecchi8 (August 21, 2016). "Bora Bora here we come!!! Honeymoon....91/2 hours to get there.. #worthit @klazur80" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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Preceded by Winner of the Bobby Clarke Trophy
1993
2000
2004 		Succeeded by
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