Mark Recchi

At 56 years old, Mark Recchi has this physical status:

Mark Louis Recchi (born February 1, 1968) is a retired professional ice hockey player and a new assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Recchi played 22 years in the NHL, winning three Stanley Cups: with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and the Boston Bruins in 2011: In 1991 with the Carolina Hurricanes and then with the Boston Bruins.

Recchi became the oldest player to score in a Stanley Cup Finals match ever in Game 2 of the 2011 Finals at the age of 43. Recchi was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on June 26, 2017, in his fourth year of eligibility.

Personal life

Mark Recchi was born in Kamloops, British Columbia, on February 1, 1968, to Mel and Ruth Recchi. Marty, Mike, and Matt are three brothers.

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

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Playing career

Recchi played for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League in junior hockey (WHL). His number 8 was cut by the team just 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.

Recchi was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers as part of a package that brought Rick Tocchet and Kjell Samuelsson to Pittsburgh the following season. He played for Philadelphia from 1992 to 1995 as part of Eric Lindros and Brent Fedyk's "Crazy Eights" line, including a 53-goal, 70-assist, and 123-point seasons, the Flyers' single-season point scoring record. He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 1995 as part of a contract for Éric Desjardins, Gilbert Dionne, and John LeClair, but the Flyers recalled him later in the 1998–99 season, placing him among their top scorers.

Recchi was a finalist for the Lester B. Pearson Award as the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) MVP during the 1999–2000 season, just five points behind champion Jaromr Jágr and runner-up Pavel Bure. Recchi also placed third in the national All-Star team right wing poll, behind Jágr and Bure. The Flyers will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2000 and 2004, but they will be unable to advance to the playoffs in seven games.

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

Recchi resurfaced with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent in August 2004, committing to a two-year deal with a two-way option for a third year. The first year was eventually ended by the NHL lockout; in the second year, Recchi waived his no-trade guarantee in order to be sent to the Stanley Cup-contending Carolina Hurricanes, leaving the Penguins languishing at the bottom of the NHL standings; and in the second year, left wing Niklas Nordgren and a 2007 second-round pick were both drafted. Recchi won his second Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes that season, then re-signed with the Penguins during the offseason of 2006 for the second time.

Recchi scored his seventh career hat-trick on January 20, 2007, against the Dallas Stars, and just over a week later, he scored his 500th career goal.

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

Recchi agreed to a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 7, 2008. Recchi was traded to the Boston Bruins on March 4, 2009, after scoring 45 points in 62 games with the Lightning in 2008–09 season, with the Lightning out of playoff contention. Recchi scored his first two goals for the Bruins three days later on March 7, the first and third Bruins goals in a 5–3 home ice victory over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks.

Recchi re-signed with the Bruins on a one-year deal on July 2, 2009. Recchi had already predicted that the 2009–10 season would be his last year. Recchi became the top point and assist among active players after Joe Sakic's retirement in the summer of 2009. Recchi will be a reserve captain during the season, while Marc Savard was injured and out of the lineup, playing 81 of 82 games in the 2009–2010 season.

Recchi became the third player to score a playoff goal, behind Chris Chelios and Gordie Howe, and the second oldest player to play in a multi-goal game in the playoffs after scoring two goals in a 5–4 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of the second round. Recchi re-signed with the Bruins for one year after losing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Flyers.

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

Recchi made the oldest player to score a goal in a Stanley Cup Final in Game 2 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, turning 43 years old. He scored the final two goals of his career in Game 3 of the Finals. Recchi won at least three Stanley Cup titles with three different teams on June 15, 2011, defeating the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Recchi was also the team's top scorer during the Finals series.

In an interview with Ron MacLean of Hockey Night in Canada during the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, he had previously stated that he would "sail off into the sunset" if Boston were victorious in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. Recchi was the last person to play in professional hockey in the 1980s, placing fourth all-time in games played and 12th overall in points.

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Awards and achievements

• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017