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Bolt's Recchi Not Done Yet

AP File Photo (2008)

Recchi is tied for 16th with Doug Gilmour at 1,414 points, six points behind Adam Oates.

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 1, 2009

BRANDON - Fifty games into his 20th season, Mark Recchi feels like a 30-year-old again.

In a season filled with plenty of the unexpected for the Lightning, Recchi, has been a pleasant surprise. The two-time Stanley Cup champion who turned 41 Sunday was waived by Pittsburgh last season before ending the year in Atlanta, but he is third on the team in points (33) and assists (22).

It's clear that even as the fifth-oldest player in the league, Recchi has not shown any signs of slowing down.

"When you get to that age, usually your hands start to go," Lightning interim coach Rick Tocchet said. "You might still have some pep in your stride, and Mark still has that quickness, but the one thing that hasn't really been affected with him is his hands. He can still make a good pass, and he's probably different than most of the older guys because he still has his hands."

While Recchi, who is averaging just under 17 minutes a game, might have exceeded other people's expectations others, he thought he could come in and continue to play at a high level. That is precisely what he has done, continuing to rise up the league's all-time scoring list. He is tied for 16th with Doug Gilmour at 1,414 points, six points behind Adam Oates.

"I came here to prove that I can still play, so did I expect to do this? Yeah, I did," Recchi said.

With Recchi's production this season, and the team's playoff chances rating somewhere between slim and none, his name is no doubt bound to wind up in the rumor mill as the March 4 trade deadline approaches. That's what happened in 2006, when he was dealt to Carolina and helped the Hurricanes win a Stanley Cup as he registered 16 points in 25 playoff games.

Recchi is not looking that far ahead, however.

"I'll look at it March 4," said Recchi, who does not have a no-trade clause. "I'm happy with things and the organization, and I'm hoping we can still make a strong push that will keep me with the team, but they can move me if they want. It's up to them. I'm not going to say one way or the other. It's their choice."

Recchi will have to make the choice about whether to put in the work to play next season.

"I'm going to wait until the season is over and see how I feel," Recchi said. "Getting to the rink and playing, that's the fun part. The hardest part was the training to get ready, and you have to be mentally ready to do that. And if you are not, then it's time to call it quits. At the end of the season, I'll regroup and see."

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835.

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