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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE MEDIA CONFERENCEDecember 29, 2010Mark RecchiDAVID KEON: Mark is in his 22nd NHL season, and through 35 games this season he has recorded seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points. He ranks ninth on the all-time games played list with 1,606. He is 20th all-time with 570 goals after his game-winner last night, 14th all-time with 936 assists and 13th all-time with 1,506 points. A year ago at this time Mark was preparing to play in the 2010 NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park where he tied the score at 1 with 2:18 left in the third period in a game the Bruins won in overtime 2-1 over the Philadelphia Flyers. This Saturday, January 1st, Mark's former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, will host the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh in the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at 1:00 p.m. eastern time on NBC, CBC and RDS. We thank Mark for taking the time to join us today. Q. I'm sure you had a chance in 2008 and 2009 to watch the game, the Winter Classic games in Buffalo and Chicago. You kind of maybe had a chance to see the rink going up in Fenway, but when you first stepped out there, what were your expectations and what did it feel like when you went out there either for the practice or for the game? MARK RECCHI: Well, the practice, it was unbelievable. It was really a perfect setting. We went out there in our street clothes and we were looking around a little bit and just getting a feel for it and a taste of it. But then we went in to get dressed and we came out and it was snowing, and it was just a real light snow and it was amazing. It was just like the most incredible feeling. It couldn't have been a better setup for us, being in Fenway and the snow and the winter, and it's just like -- it was like you were growing up as a kid and it just was a perfect, perfect setting for us. Q. For people who watch the game, you scored the tying goal against Philly, your old team, but for people who don't know, what were some of the things that stand out and you'll take with you from that game? MARK RECCHI: Definitely the day before and just the whole energy that went into the game and how great a feeling it was just to be out there and look around and be in Fenway Park and playing hockey, 40-odd-thousand people there, and after the national anthem the stealth comes over, and it was just something special, those little things. And obviously scoring the goal at the end to tie the game was pretty special and got us an opportunity to win it. So it was just one of those days that you just never forget. Q. After that Stanley Cup when you left here, you said you still had a lot of hockey left in you. Did you think you had this much, and how does it feel to be the oldest player in the league? MARK RECCHI: (Laughing) I don't know if it's good or bad, but it's all how you feel. I still feel good, and every year you go into it when you're at the end of the season, see if I can do the training, and I've been feeling good, and health-wise, knock on wood, it's been really good. Then you just make that decision from there. As long as I'm able to train and I think I can get in good enough shape, but there's going to be a time and point where it's going to be enough is enough. I'm not going after Cheli, put it that way. Q. I know you were only here for a short time, it was about 1 percent of your entire regular season career, but I'm guessing that you've still got some pretty fond memories of what happened here. MARK RECCHI: Oh, it was amazing what happened there. For how close I got with the guys in a short period of time, I played 20 regular season games and then the playoffs, and that was a special group of guys. Obviously you have to be to win a Stanley Cup. How they embraced me and how I came in and just -- Dougie and I were late additions and we came in and they just welcomed us. It was just a great feeling to get into the dressing room and be part of it, just a little piece of the puzzle. It was a great experience, and it obviously gave me an opportunity to win a second Stanley Cup. Q. On the Winter Classic and playing outside, is there anything hockey-wise that you learned that you wish you had known before the game about being in that situation? MARK RECCHI: No, it was good. I mean, everything was good. The temperature -- I mean, the league does such a good job keeping the guys warm on the bench. Everything was perfect, really. I didn't think there was anything -- I thought the ice was pretty good. I mean, everything was just really set up well for us. There wasn't anything that really jumped out. I think it was very well prepared, and the guys really just were able to enjoy the experience. It was something, like you said, we'll never forget. Q. Just wanted to ask you about the playoff race this year. You got a huge goal, of course, last night. Is it extra nice to get that game-winner and put you guys in first in the northeast and of course knock the Habs out of first place? Was that an extra special feeling for you? MARK RECCHI: Yeah, we've been chasing them for a while and they've been giving us opportunities for a little while now, and we finally just the last couple games have taken advantage of it. We wanted to climb up there, and they were within reach. We had some games in hand, and we wanted to take advantage of it. We don't want to stop now, and I think that's the biggest thing. It's a good race. Obviously they've got off to a great start, and we've been a little bit inconsistent, but we're trying to find that consistency before the end of the year. It's been good. The guys are really committed to trying to obviously win our division and try and go see what we can do here. Q. Is there a sense that you've got to basically win the division practically in the northeast to guarantee yourself a spot in the playoffs because of how tight it is? MARK RECCHI: Well, we feel like we're -- we feel we're good enough we're going to get in regardless. We just believe in ourselves, and we believe that we can get in. But winning the division obviously gives you an opportunity to get some home ice and gives you that little flavor of home ice where you can try and take advantage of that. Not that it's a huge thing in playoffs anymore like it used to be, but I still think it's somewhat important. Q. Can you believe it's been ten years since you were a Montreal Canadien? MARK RECCHI: I know, it's been amazing. I don't have to -- I told the guys the ten-year rule, I don't have to put money up on the board anymore. But it was a great experience obviously there. You know that, my being there, I loved it. I got the opportunity to be in the Forum and moved over to the Molson Center. It was pretty special being there. Q. One of the things that's going on with this year's Winter Classic is the alumni game and Mario and Trottier and Tocchet are going to skate again. You're still playing, and those guys have long since hung up the skates. Are you at least curious to see how those guys do? Have you talked to any of them, a little good natured chirping? MARK RECCHI: I haven't really talked to any of them, but Toc had actually texted me last night. I texted him back, but we didn't talk about that. Obviously it'll be fun to see them out there. I was thinking about maybe sliding in to see if I could play. You know, it'll be great. It'll be great to see Mario out there again, and obviously Rick and I are really good friends, and Brian Trottier was my idol growing up and I got to sit beside him, so it'll be really cool to see those guys. I think it's been really -- the HBO thing has been terrific. I think it's been terrific for our game, and the players talk about it all the time. I know some people that aren't even hockey fans talk about it. It's really -- they've done a really good job with it this year, and I hope it's really -- the weather cooperates and everything turns out great because it's really set up to be a great atmosphere for the game and then to follow up with a great Mario Lemieux playing and these guys playing will be pretty cool. Q. Are you going to kind of see who gets the groin pull first or who needs to get their hockey legs back? MARK RECCHI: I don't think they'll skate fast enough to do that (laughing). But I'm sure they'll be sore the next day. Q. You've played with Sid in Pittsburgh and Stamkos in Tampa. Could you give me your impressions and thoughts about Tyler Seguin? MARK RECCHI: Well, you know what, the thing that stands out about both those guys to me is they're better people than they are hockey players. Obviously we know the talent they have and the incredible skill level they have and the competitive drive they have. But they're such good people off the ice, and they've got their heads screwed on right. That's why their teammates love them, and that's why they lead their team. It was incredible to see Steven from the first day of training camp, and I was fortunate to be with both of them their first years and how they developed and really obviously turned into stars, and Sid has won a Stanley Cup and he's an incredible leader now. Yeah, you can just see how focused he is. And Steven is going to get there. Obviously they're building a team there now in Tampa, and Stevie Y is doing a very good job there and they're going to contend there with him in Tampa now. Q. How does Seguin compare to those two guys, though? MARK RECCHI: Skill level is extremely high, as well. You know, I think -- and he's a good kid, as well, too. I think he's a little bit more raw than those guys were. I think they were a little bit more polished even then. He probably compares more to Steven. Steven was a little bit raw. Sid came in and Sid was ready. Steven was a little bit raw, and it took him some time to get in and develop, and I think once Rick Tocchet took over, it really, really helped his confidence, and then he started playing with Marty and things just bloomed from there. I read a stat yesterday he's leading the league in scoring since February 17th two years ago with 90-something goals. It's incredible what he's done. With Tyler, you know, this is a process for him. He's learning the NHL game, he's learning to compete every night and he's doing a good job. He wants to learn and he wants to get better, and Sid and Steven were exactly the same way. The comparisons are there, and it's really up to him now whether he's going to get to that level that these guys have gotten. I believe he can, but obviously it's up to the young kid, and we're trying to help him and understand what it's like to be a pro every day. It's hard work and it's a commitment, and I know he's willing to do it. Q. You mentioned Trottier being your idol. You had the goal last night, and Dave kind of read off your career numbers before we started, but do you ever take the chance to look around and see where you rank amongst some of these guys? You're three goals behind Mike Bossy, you're six games away from tying Ray Bourque for the games played list, you're 25 points behind Paul Coffey to move up to 12th. These guys are in the Hall of Fame, and here you are and you're still moving up that list. Do you ever take a chance to just say, wow, or kind of look at where you are amongst some of these legends? MARK RECCHI: No, I don't. You know what, the guys are great. They update me more than -- they know my stats better than I do. I didn't even know I scored my 570th last night. I knew I was around there, but actually the coaching staff after said that was 570, and Doug Jarvis asked me, and I wasn't sure. But the guys keep telling me, oh, you're six games away. When I was almost at 1,500 points, Charlie was like, you're getting close, and then I was getting close to 1,600 games, you're getting close. Teammates have been awesome with that and really made it enjoyable. I think they've been -- really respect the fact that I've played a long time and really take pride in it and enjoy it with me, and that's the fun thing for me is seeing how excited they are for me. Q. I know you said you don't want to challenge Chelios, but you're really not all that far away from him. MARK RECCHI: I know. Q. You know, you could conceivably pass him this season. MARK RECCHI: Yeah, I mean, that's -- well, age-wise anyways. Yeah, I'll stay -- he played until he was 47, I guess, last year. Age-wise it ain't going to get there. Like I said, at the end of the season I'll see. I'll see how I feel and see how the rest of the year goes and how the playoffs go and see if I can make that commitment again in the summer to train and do what I need to do to get ready for a season. It obviously gets harder every year, and it's a pretty hard program I do and I've got to be ready to commit to it. If I'm going to go in half ass to it, I might as well go hang out with my kids and play a little tennis or something. Q. I just wanted to ask you, we were talking about Stamkos and the young guys and obviously you're in your 22nd year now, and a guy like P.K. Subban is in his first full year here in Montreal and he's been criticized by some players, Mike Richards, for being too chirpy and stuff like that. Is there more or less in your opinion as elder statesman, so to speak, in the NHL sort of a golden rule for rookies, what they should and shouldn't do or what they should and shouldn't say on the ice? MARK RECCHI: No, I don't think there's a rule out there. I think it's all how you present yourself. I mean, I don't -- he's been pretty quiet against us, so I don't really -- we haven't seen it in the Boston games. But obviously he's had his moments. But we don't -- there isn't any rule that anybody can't say or do anything. It's up to the player. I mean, obviously it is a first-year player and he starts chirping, a guy like Mike Richards, who is a great -- he's been around for a number of years now, you'd better be able to back it up basically is the bottom line. You know, it's fine. He can do what he wants, and they're all big boys. He's got to take care of himself. I know that our young kids are very respectful in our dressing room, our first- and second-year guys are very respectful of the game, and as long as they are, that's the bottom line. DAVID KEON: Thanks very much, Mark, for your time today. End of FastScripts |
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