2017 Hall of Fame inductee Mark Recchi is better known for his Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, and Boston Bruins, but his 22-year tenure in the NHL did include a stop in Tampa Bay.
The Kamloops, British Columbia native, born Feb. 1, 1968, starred for his hometown Blazers of the Western Hockey League when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1988. He turned pro that fall and made his NHL debut during the 1988-89 season.
He played 22 seasons in the NHL for the Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Hurricanes, Atlanta Thrashers, Lightning, and Bruins. Recchi played in 1,652 regular season games, the fourth most in NHL history at the time of his retirement. He scored 577 goals and added 956 assists for 1,533 points, twelfth best all-time at the time of his retirement.
Recchi’s Time With the Lightning
In December 2007, the Atlanta Thrashers claimed Recchi on waivers and he finished the season with the Thrashers. In that off-season, he signed with the Lightning, signing a one-year, $1.25 million deal, leaving him scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2008. His veteran presence aided the Lightning, playing then with an 18-year-old Steven Stamkos, but out of contention, the team traded Recchi to the Bruins at the 2009 NHL Trade Deadline in March. The Bruins went to the playoffs but lost to the Flyers in the Eastern Conference semi-final.
The then-40-year-old had 13 goals and 32 assists in 62 games before being traded. His best game as a Lightning may have come on March 9, 2009, when he had five assists in an 8-5 road victory over the Calgary Flames. Shortly after this game, he was traded to the Bruins, who led the Eastern Conference at the time. The Lightning were in 13th place in the Eastern Conference when they made the deal.
The Lightning also gave the Bruins a second-round pick, which Boston later used to acquire defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, who became one of the better shutdown duos of that time along with defensive partner Zdeno Chara.
“It’s not a surprise at all, I just didn’t know where it was going to happen, or when,” Recchi told Jeff Marek on Hockey Night in Canada Radio just after he was dealt. “It’s nice to know, and it’s a good situation. Boston’s a first place team and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
After the Lightning
After the trade, the Bruins made the playoffs but lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference semi-final. In what proved to be his 22nd and final NHL season, Recchi and the Bruins went to the Stanley Cup Final and captured Lord Stanley’s mug in a series against the Vancouver Canucks. It was the third championship for Recchi and positioned him as one of just 10 players who had won the Stanley Cup with three different teams.
Recchi has been a co-owner of the Blazers since 2007, along with Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi, Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan, and Darryl Sydor. He has coached and consulted with various teams, including the Stars, Devils, and Penguins. The Columbus Blue Jackets hired him in September of 2023, but he was recently let go by the team.
Recchi is one of just 10 players to have won Stanley Cups with three different teams. His first came in 1991 with the Penguins, the second in 2006 with the Hurricanes and his third in his final season, 2011, with the Bruins. It is also noteworthy that Recchi, who stands at 5-foot-10, managed to thrive in an era when coaches preferred big players. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017.
Even though his time in Tampa was brief, it is good to remember that such a player who had a long and distinguished career in the NHL that culminated in a Hall of Fame selection did once wear the Lightning sweater.
