Many people still question weather or not the Penguins should or shouldn’t have a captain on the team. Currently wearing the letter A on their jerseys are Sidney Crosby, Sergei Gonchar and Mark Recchi. Right at this very moment, if given a chance to do so, many people would say and want Sidney Crosby to be named captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins. I myself, would have to disagree. Yes we all know that Sidney Crosby is one or maybe even the best young player in the NHL today and will be for the rest of his long and blooming career, but there is one man on the team that absolutely shows what it means to be a captain of any team.The thirty nine year old, eighteen year veteran of the NHL, Mark Recchi has precisely what it takes to be a team captain. It does without a doubt help that he has been in the game for so long and has a lot of experience with the game of hockey however it is also what Recchi brings to the table on and off of the ice. While being on a team which is stacked full of young guns, you think it would be absolutely intimidating for the vet Recchi, but he would totally disagree. “We are starting to figure it out. We’ve got a lot of new faces. We’ve got to balance between young and old. And everybody’s trying to push in the right direction to find the right way to play.”
There is for sure no reason to be intimidated when Mark Recchi has relentless energy on the ice and is one of the most durable forwards in the league. Recchi is also tremendously smart with the puck and is an incredibly talented playmaker from the wing position as well as displaying a deceiving wrist shot. Many players look up to Recchi for more than hockey tips. One of the year’s hot rookie, Jordan Staal has been staying with Recchi and his family for the Penguins 2006-2007 season. Mark is more than happy to help out with Staal in this very exciting season physically and mentally and on and off of the ice. “He’s had to learn how to play a new position, and he’s doing it as an 18-year-old in the NHL, yet he’s been unbelievable. He’s a force out there, a powerful skater, he holds the puck and he’s already one of the best penalty-killers in the league.” Mark Recchi is also exceedingly giving to those in the city of Pittsburgh as he lends a hand to those less fortunate by donating his very own suite to local children’s charities. Organizations benefiting from Recchi’s program include the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Big Brothers Big Sisters and children from the team’s Pen Pal Program which serves individuals stricken with illness or loss.
Mark Recchi joined the 500 goal club on January 26th against Dallas in a 4-3 victory. He also had two goals in the contest. He played in his 1,300 career NHL game on January 16th against the New York Islanders and recorded his 1,300th career point on January 7th vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning. With an extraordinary record like such as Recchi’s and a heart of gold in the game of hockey, there is no doubt Mark Recchi deserves to become the Penguins official captain and he is unquestionably what it means to be a leader in anything that he does.
