When I was a child, a young Penguins fan, if you would’ve asked me who my favorite player was, I would have probably said Mario Lemieux. The usual follow-up to that answer was that, yes, Mario is everybody’s favorite player, but besides Mario, who is your favorite. Without a doubt, my second choice would always be Mark Recchi. Although the “Recchin’ Ball,” was was traded at the deadline of the 1991-92 season, and I was only eight years old at the time, and his first tenure with the Penguins only lasted a couple of seasons, his stature in Penguins lore to me was second to none except Mario. Although he spent most of my childhood with Philadelphia and Montreal, he was always the player that got away, always the one I wanted to see come back to the Penguins.

I finally got my wish in the 2004 offseason when the Penguins picked him up in free agency. Sure, he was getting older, but was Philadelphia’s leading scorer in the 2003-04 campaign, and at the time, the Penguins had little or no players with the pedigree of Recchi. His signing was a welcomed change of pace. Unfortunately, I would have to wait another year to witness the re-debut of Mark Recchi, due to a season lost to the infamous lockout.

Quite a few things happened in that time. The Penguins won the Sidney Crosby lottery, the Penguins signed Sergei Gonchar, John LeClair, Ziggy Palffy, Lyle Odeline, and traded for veteran goaltender Jocelyn Thibault. With Sidney Crosby, Mark Recchi, and Mario Lemieux already in the fold, the Penguins seemed primed to be an instant Stanley Cup contender. It was not to be, but I remember the first home game of that season against the Boston Bruins. The loudest cheers went to Mark Recchi, who was finally back home, back with the Penguins logo on his chest where it belonged.

Recchi put up decent numbers, but there was rumors about his overzealous use of his veteran status on Sidney Crosby. I remember a game that year where I booed Recchi after he stopped in the middle of a play to argue a call while Ottawa went in on a shorthanded 2 on 1 to score a goal. I remember being happy that he was traded to Carolina, with whom he went on to win his second Stanley Cup.

When he was resigned last year, I remember being slightly disappointed. Yet, last year, he came back and proved his worth, put together a great year, scored his 500th goal, and was a key part to the Penguins success. I was happy, one of my all time favorite players was back and playing well enough to profess my love for him once again.

I thought it was all over, though. At 39 years, it seemed his career was over, yet Pens GM Ray Shero decided to bring him back for one more year. I thought it was a bad move, but was willing to wait and see what the old Recchin Ball had left in the tank. I soon found out, it was nothing. Recchi has been benched for numerous games now, and has been the subject of constant trade rumors. It seems that his Penguins career, and maybe his playing career is over.

It’s a shame that it has to end this way. His career numbers make him a lock for the Hall of Fame. His iron man status is highly underrated, as well as his passing ability. It’s a shame that this is the way we have to remember the last days of Mark Recchi. He should’ve bowed out with dignity and retired after last season. He should’ve gone out as a king, a great player, beloved by all for his contributions to the Pens improbable playoff birth last season. He should’ve retired, and been instantly inducted into the Penguins Hall of Fame in a ceremony this season.

This is not the way I want to remember number 8. I want to remember him hopping down the offwing with ridiculous speed and letting go a wrong footed wrist shot at the faceoff circle and blowing it by the goalie. And as the red goal light flashes, I want to see him raising his hands in celebration, as the number 8 drifts off into the NHL sunset.

Goodbye Mark Recchi. You were truly one of the underrated greats of this game.