Recchi surprised to sign so early

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Mark Recchi was hoping to sign one more NHL contract. He just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.
One year ago, Recchi, a Kamloops native, tested free agency and signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 7, one week after the marketplace opened. So who could blame him for thinking he likely was on the same timeline this time around?
Well . . . it didn’t happen that way.
The free-agent market opened Wednesday at noon ET. Less than 24 hours later, the Boston Bruins signed Recchi to a one-year deal paying US$1 million plus incentives.
“What I think happened is with the salary cap and teams very limited in what they can spend,” explained Recchi on Saturday, “they knew I was on the cheap side in the hockey world and it’s only a one-year deal.”
Which, he said, is “perfect for teams” in today’s NHL.
So perfect, in fact, that Recchi, 41, said he heard from four teams in the “first few hours” after he officially became an unrestricted free agent.
“I wasn’t expecting a call for a few days,” he admitted.
After starting last season with Tampa Bay, Recchi, who is one of five owners of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, was dealt to the Bruins on March 4. With the Bruins, he scored 10 goals in 18 regular-season games. He scored three more goals in the playoffs, while battling broken ribs and a kidney stone; he actually underwent a surgical procedure to remove the stone between games.
At season’s end, Recchi, a certain Hall of Famer after retirement, stood 14th on the NHL’s all-time list for games played. He also is 26th in goals, 18th in assists and 14th in points.
And, for the first time in his pro career, which began in 1988-89, he is talking about retirement. In fact, he told a conference call on Friday that “this is probably going to be it.”
“I want to go out and finish it off right by winning another championship and help this team be successful,” he said. “I’d say this will probably be it. I’ve got my family situation I’ve got to consider and kids I’ve got to consider. It’s been a great run. I think I want to give it one more chance.”
With the Bruins, Recchi found some chemistry on a line with winger Chuck Kobasew, who is from Osoyoos, and Patrice Bergeron. Recchi expects to open a new season on a line with those two. He also is hoping to be back on Boston’s top power-play unit.
“I see my role as exactly the one I was playing last year,” Recchi said. “Me and Bergy and Chucky had success last year. I’m assuming I would take the same position on the power play — get in front of the net and create traffic there. But it will evolve from training camp and what the coach thinks. I know you’ve got to go earn your ice time. You can’t get it handed to you.
“I really like the pieces that are there. Winning the Stanley Cup is not an easy thing. You want to give yourself every opportunity. I felt Boston was a great fit for me. We have the opportunity, if we do all the right things as players, to continue to grow as a team. I think everybody left pretty disappointed, which I really, really liked. Guys felt we left something out there. Guys will be that much more hungry this year.”
After sweeping past the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs, the Bruins lost a second-round series to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.
Recchi expects to return to Kamloops around Aug. 1 and might stay here through the end of the month. He plans on skating with the Blazers, who open training camp Aug. 20.
“I will be there for training camp,” he said, adding, with a laugh, that “I need the kids to work me into shape.
“Or will I push them into shape?”
JUST NOTES: D Zak Stebner of the Blazers has accepted a training camp invitation from the Dallas Stars. Stebner, 19, is one of five Blazers ticketed for NHL camps so far. . . . RW Tyler Shattock (St. Louis Blues) and F Jimmy Bubnick (Atlanta Thrashers) were selected during the NHL‚s 2009 draft, while D Giffen Nyren (Minnesota Wild) and C C.J. Stretch (San Jose Sharks) will attend camps on free-agent tryouts. . . . Shattock, selected by the Blues in the fourth round of last month’’s draft, has been working out in Kelowna. Some of his time — a couple of hours twice a week — has been spent working with a sprint coach, working on speed, endurance and explosiveness. If Shattock can improve his foot quickness to the point that he can beat defencemen to the net from the outside, he could turn into a really dominant player.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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