Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Former Flyers winger Mark Recchi will enter Hockey Hall of Fame

After being snubbed three times, Recchi is going in.

Mark Recchi (center) celebrates after a goal in a 2001 Flyers game.
Mark Recchi (center) celebrates after a goal in a 2001 Flyers game.Read moreRON CORTES / Staff File Photo

Mark Recchi is a Hockey Hall of Famer. Finally.

The ex-Flyer was one of seven named to the 2017 Hall of Fame class Monday. The others:  Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya, Dave Andreychuk, Danielle Goyette (women's hockey), and builders Clare Drake and Jeremy Jacobs. The induction ceremonies will take place Nov. 13 in Toronto.

Recchi, a winger, was rejected three times despite being 12th on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 1,533 points, collected in 1,652 career games.  He had 627 points (232 goals, 395 assists) in 602 games with the Flyers, placing him eighth on the team's all-time scoring list.

The British Columbia native spent parts of 10 seasons with the Flyers, and he still holds the franchise's single-season record with 123 points in 1992-93.

"Mark contributed to much of our success during both of his tenures with the club," said Paul Holmgren, the Flyers' president.

Recchi, 49, spent two tours with the Flyers and was a three-time winner of the Bobby Clarke Trophy as the team's MVP.

"I had two good runs in Philadelphia," Recchi said in a conference call in which he thanked his "great teammates" with the Flyers. "The organization is tremendous and treated us first class."

Recchi, now a player development coach with the Penguins, played for seven teams and won Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh (1991), Carolina (2006) and  Boston (2011). He will become the 13th man inducted into the Hall's player category after a career that included time with the Flyers.

During his conference call, Recchi said the Flyers' loss to Tampa Bay in the 2004 Eastern Conference finals "stings" to this day.

Qualifying offers

The Flyers made qualifying offers to seven of their restricted free agents, including NHL forwards Roman Lyubimov ($971,250) and Mike Vecchione ($971,250). Lyubimov might end up playing in Russia's KHL.

They also qualified five Phantoms: Alex Lyon ($971,250), Scott Laughton ($874,125), Taylor Leier ($806,558), Anthony Stolarz ($761,250), and Cole Bardreau ($727,1125).

Flyers Charity Classic

The Flyers Charity Classic, a run, walk and bike event, will be held July 16. It encompasses a 5K walk or run, a 10-mile family bike ride, as well as 50K and 100K bike rides.

The 5K walk/run will start and end at the Wells Fargo Center and will take participants through the Navy Yard, while the 10-mile family bike ride will begin at the Wells Fargo Center and go around City Hall before passing Logan Square and other parts of the city, including a journey along the Schuylkill River.

Funds raised from the Charity Classic will help the Flyers Alumni Association, which has pledged $2 million to support construction of a rink for the Ed Snider Youth Foundation.

Among the former Flyers expected to participate in some events: Holmgren, Bob Clarke, Bob Kelly, Brad Marsh, Joe Watson, Todd Fedoruk, and Doug Crossman.

For more information, go to the Flyers' website or call 215-389-9426.