Longtime Flyer Mark Recchi inducted into Hall of Fame
By Nick Som
The fourth time was the charm for Mark Recchi, who spent a large part of his 22-year NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers.
It took a few tries, but if there was one thing longtime Philadelphia Flyers forward Mark Recchi had proved in his 22 years in the NHL, it’s that he could not be denied.
Recchi received hockey’s highest honor last Monday, as he was one of seven individuals to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He enters hockey immortality alongside several other iconic players of the past few decades, including Teemu Selanne, Dave Andreychuk, and Paul Kariya.
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Like many other Hall of Fame inductees, Recchi’s career was marked by incredible longevity and production. Over 22 years Recchi averaged over a point per game, compiling 232 goals and 395 assists in 602 games. He became the oldest player every to score a goal in a Stanley Cup Final, putting one home as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins at 43 years old.
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Most importantly, his best years (10 of them, to be precise), were largely spent in Philadelphia. Two of his three 100+ point seasons came as a Philadelphia Flyer, including his astounding career (and franchise) best of 123 points in 1992-93, at the age of 24. He was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Penguins in 1992, and spent four amazing seasons with the team as part of the “Crazy Eights” line with Eric Lindros and Brent Fedyk before moving on. Recchi would return for a second stint in a 1998 trade, however, and provide another six seasons of elite scoring for the Orange and Black.
Recchi’s first run with the Flyers was before my time, but his return directly coincided with my discovery of hockey as a kid. I still have fond memories of Recchi and John LeClair flanking my favorite player, Jeremy Roenick, as they shredded opposing defenses in the early 2000s. I’m sure many of you have similar memories of your own.
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Recchi was one of the greatest players ever to wear the Orange and Black, and it’s wonderful to see him recognized as such. Congratulations on an incredible career, Rex.
(Stats via Hockey Reference)