Mark Recchi

Mark Recchi
Born	(1968-02-01) February 1, 1968 Kamloops, BC, CAN
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Boston Bruins Tampa Bay Lightning Atlanta Thrashers Pittsburgh Penguins Carolina Hurricanes Philadelphia Flyers Montreal Canadiens
National team	Canada
NHL draft	67th overall, 1988 Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career	1988–present

Mark Louis "The Recchin' Ball" Recchi (born February 1, 1968 in Kamloops, British Columbia) is a Canadian professional ice hockey Right winger currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, serving as an alternate captain. Currently, he is the oldest active player in the NHL.

Playing career

Recchi played his junior hockey for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League. 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 1988, and was a key player in their Stanley Cup winning side in 1991.

The following season he 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, including a 53 goal, 70 assist, 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 for the 1998–99 season, and was consistently among their top scorers.

During the 1999–2000 season, he was a finalist for the Lester B. Pearson trophy as NHLPA MVP and he finished third in scoring, only 5 points behind Jaromír Jágr. 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, he 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 Penguins as a free agent, signing a two-year contract with a two-way option for a third year. The first year was eventually nullified by the NHL lockout; 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 Krystofer Kolanos, left wing Niklas Nordgren, and a 2007 2nd round pick. Recchi won his second Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes that season, and subsequently re-signed with the Penguins during the summer of 2006 off-season.

On January 20, 2007, he scored his 7th 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.

Recchi with the Pittsburgh Penguins

During the summer of 2007 off-season, Recchi re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins for a one year contract that amounted to $2 million, but on December 4 he was placed on waivers and assigned to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins two days later. On December 8, 2007, Recchi was claimed on re-entry waivers by the Atlanta Thrashers. In his first game against his former team, he scored the game winning goal in a shootout.

Fans have come to know him as the "Recchin' Ball" due to his small stature and hard nose style of forechecking while in the offensive zone.

On July 7, 2008, Recchi signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On March 4, 2009, Recchi was traded to the Boston Bruins for Mārtiņš Karsums and Matt Lashoff, the Bruins also received a 2010 2nd round draft pick.

On March 7, 2009, Recchi scored his first two goals for the Bruins, as the first and third Bruins goals in a 5-3 home ice defeat of the visiting Chicago Blackhawks.

On July 2, 2009, Recchi re-signed with the Boston Bruins for one year. The next day, he stated that the 2009-10 season will be his final year. With the retirement of Joe Sakic in the summer of 2009, Recchi became the leader in points and assists among active players.

On Jan 1st 2010: Scored tying goal late in the third period of the 2010 Winter Classic for Boston against Philadelphia in Fenway Park, leading to an overtime victory for the Bruins.

On April 15, 2010, Recchi became the third oldest player to score a playoff goal, behind Chris Chelios and Gordie Howe.

On May 7, 2010, Recchi became the oldest player to have a multi-goal game in the playoffs, when he scored two goals in a 5-4 OT loss to Philidelphia in Game 4 of the second round.

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Awards and achievements

• 1987–88: West First All-Star Team (WHL)
• 1988–89: Second All-Star Team (IHL)
• 1990–91: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1990–91: Won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
• 1991–92: Second All-Star Team (NHL)
• 1992–93: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1993–94: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1996–97: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1996–97: All-Star Game MVP (NHL)
• 1997–98: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1998–99: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1999–00: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2005-06: Won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)

Records

• Second longest span between Stanley Cup wins (1991–2006), at fifteen years.
• 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 age 41.
• Ninth-all time in games played (1,571).

NHL transactions

• On February 19, 1992: Traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins with Brian Benning and a first round pick in the 1992 draft (Jason Bowen) to the Philadelphia Flyers for Kjell Samuelsson, Rick Tocchet and Ken Wregget.
• On February 9, 1995: Traded from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Montreal Canadiens for Éric Desjardins, John LeClair and Gilbert Dionne.
• On March 10, 1999: Traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Philadelphia Flyers for Dainius Zubrus, a second round pick in the 1999 draft (Matt Carkner) and a sixth round pick in the 2000 draft.
• On March 9, 2006: Traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Carolina Hurricanes for Niklas Nordgren, Krystofer Kolanos and a second round pick in the 2007 draft.
• On December 4, 2007: Placed on waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins
• On December 6, 2007: Assigned to the Pittsburgh Penguins American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after clearing waivers.
• On December 7, 2007: Claimed off re-entry waivers by the Atlanta Thrashers.
• On March 4, 2009: Traded to the Boston Bruins from the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 2010 second round pick, for D Matt Lashoff and F Mārtiņš Karsums.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
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	Muskegon Lumberjacks	IHL		63	50	49	99	86		14	7	14	21	28
1988–89	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		15	1	1	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Muskegon Lumberjacks	IHL		4	7	4	11	2		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		74	30	37	67	44		—	—	—	—	—
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
2004–05	Did not play (NHL lockout)
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
NHL totals			1,571	563	922	1485	998	164	56	77	133	83

International play

• 1998 — Played for Canada in the XVIII Olympic Winter Games

See also

• List of NHL players with 1000 games played
• List of NHL players with 500 goals
• List of NHL players with 1000 points
• List of NHL statistical leaders

External links

• Mark Recchi career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Mark Recchi player profile at TSN.ca
• Mark Recchi player profile at NHL.com
• Mark Recchi's Day With the Stanley Cup