The New Jersey Devils have added to the coaching staff for 2020-21. Former NHL player and coach Mark Recchi will join coach Lindy Ruff‘s bench for next season. Recchi was recently an assistant for the Pittsburgh Penguins but was let go when the coaching staff underwent a shuffling earlier this summer. The Devils announced the addition without including its length Tuesday afternoon.
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Devils Hire Mark Recchi
Recchi had been with the Penguins since 2014-15 when he was on the player development side of operations. He was in that role for three seasons before being promoted to assistant coach. He helped Pittsburgh post a 131-78-24 record and three playoff appearances during those three seasons before 2019-20 ended in disappointment. Recchi was previously a senior advisor for the Dallas Stars in 2013-14.
The Penguins originally drafted Recchi in the fourth round of the 1988 Draft. The 5’10” wing had an exceptional career with 22 NHL seasons to his credit. Recchi scored 577 goals and 1533 points in 1652 games. He made one all-star appearance and won three Stanley Cups with three different teams. He was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017 alongside such stars as Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. Recchi brings a wealth of experience and respect to a rebuilding New Jersey team for next season.
What This Means for the Future
Recchi could help manage the Devils’ power-play if he assumes duties similar to those of his time in Pittsburgh. He helped coordinate the Penguins power-play with good success. The Pens were top-five with the man-advantage in two of Recchi’s three seasons and led the league in 2017-18 at 26.2 percent success. New Jersey was twenty-second in the league in 2019-20 at 17.95 percent. The team needs more talent but it does have a few intriguing scoring options. Recchi will help mould stars Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier into bigger scoring threats over the offseason but it might take some time even with a coach of Recchi’s calibre.
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