There aren’t many professional athletes who can look back at the final game of their playing careers with the same amount of positivity as Mark Recchi will. The Boston Bruins forward confirmed the expectations of many by announcing his retirement shortly after his team won the Stanley Cup in Game 7.
He didn’t win the Cup as some lucky bystander, either; he scored seven points in the Stanley Cup finals series and 14 points in 25 playoff games overall. He earned an assist and an impressive +3 rating in Game 7 while skating alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
Every player has his regrets, but Recchi enjoyed an outstanding 22-year career in the NHL. He won three Stanley Cups: one in his first playoff run in 1991 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, one after being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and this triumph with Boston. Recchi will finish his distinguished career with 1,533 points in 1,652 regular season games and 147 points in 189 career playoff contests.
Are those the numbers of a Hall of Fame player? Almost 86 percent of PHT readers think so, according to this poll.
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Whether he makes the Hockey Hall of Fame or not (I would bet that he does), Recchi produced a fantastic career. That’s something he can reflect on in retirement, though. Tonight, he’s simply going to spend one more night doing what’s likely one of his favorite things: celebrating a big win with his teammates.