Mark Recchi

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Recchi's first stint with the Penguins began after he was drafted in 1988, and he was a key player on their 1991 Stanley Cup-winning team. He was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers the following season as part of a deal that brought Rick Tocchet and Kjell Samuelsson to Pittsburgh. Years later, 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 nullified by the NHL lockout. In the second year, with the Penguins at the bottom of the standings, Recchi waived his no-trade clause to be sent to the Carolina Hurricanes at the deadline for minor-league forward Krys Kolanos, left wing Niklas Nordgren and a 2007 second-round pick. He won his second Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes that season, then re-signed with the Penguins during the summer of 2006. On January 26, 2007, Recchi scored his 500th career goal on the power play against the Dallas Stars. He re-signed with the Penguins on a one-year, $2 million contract for the 2007-08 season, but was placed on waivers on December 4, assigned to the AHL affiliate on December 6, then claimed by the Atlanta Thrashers on re-entry waivers the next day.

In Their Own Story

On January 26, 2007, at Mellon Arena, Recchi scored his 500th career goal on the power play against the Dallas Stars. Just under a week earlier, on January 20, he had scored his seventh career hat-trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs. These milestones came during his second stint with the Penguins, after he had re-signed with the team in the summer of 2006 following his Stanley Cup win with the Hurricanes. But his time with Pittsburgh that season would not last. On December 4, 2007, the Penguins placed Recchi on waivers. Two days later, he was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The very next day, the Penguins placed Recchi on re-entry waivers, where he was claimed by the Atlanta Thrashers. In his first game against his former team, he scored the game-winning goal in a shootout.

Reader's Guide

Mark Recchi's time with the Pittsburgh Penguins spanned three separate stints. He was originally drafted by the Penguins in 1988 and was a key player on their 1991 Stanley Cup-winning team before being traded to Philadelphia. He returned as a free agent in August 2004, signing a two-year contract with a two-way option for a third year. The first year was nullified by the NHL lockout. In the second year, with the Penguins at the bottom of the standings, Recchi waived his no-trade clause to be sent to the Carolina Hurricanes at the deadline. He won his second Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes that season, then re-signed with the Penguins during the summer of 2006. During the 2006-07 season, he scored his 500th career goal on January 26, 2007, on the power play against the Dallas Stars. He re-signed with the Penguins on a one-year, $2 million contract for the 2007-08 season, but was placed on waivers on December 4, 2007, and claimed by the Atlanta Thrashers on December 7. After his playing career, Recchi was hired as the Pittsburgh Penguins' player development coach on July 18, 2014. He was a part of the 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup champion teams. He was promoted to director of player development on June 15, 2017, and named assistant coach on July 11, 2017. His contract was not renewed following the 2019-20 season.

Did You Know?

• Recchi was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1988 NHL entry draft.
• He was a key player on the Penguins' 1991 Stanley Cup-winning team.
• Recchi scored his 500th career goal on January 26, 2007, on the power play against the Dallas Stars while playing for the Penguins.
• After retiring, Recchi was hired as the Penguins' player development coach on July 18, 2014, and was part of their 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup champion teams.
• Recchi was named the Penguins' assistant coach on July 11, 2017, but his contract was not renewed following the 2019-20 season.