Recchi On Bruins: Team To Beat In The East
The Bruins bounced back after two losses in a row with a 5-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Full 60 to History: The Inside Story of the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins is the team's official commemorative book and former Bruins winger Mark Recchi wrote the forward.
The three time Stanley Cup champion spoke with Toucher & Rich about the book, retirement, his future, this year's Bruins team and Tyler Seguin.
After the Bruins won the Cup in 2011 Mark Recchi announced that he would retire after 22 years in the league. Is it hard than he thought it was going to be to be away from the game?
"It's tough I mean it's getting easier and easier as it goes on here, but training camp and the first start of season was tough. I mean doing it for 25, 26 year through juniors and pros it's the same thing every year you know it's a big change for you," Recchi said.
They went on to talk about his future. Does he see himself getting involved with the league somehow?
"I definitely would like to. I would like to get involved with the management side more the team building side is what I really like."
Has he talked with The Bruins about a front office role?
"Not so much, I've had conversations with Peter (Chiarelli) about different things, but not so much anything significant right now," said Recchi.
The Bruins had so much success in the month of November going 14-0-1. With so many young guys on this team some fear that players might start to relax with this much success. If Recchi were in the locker room this year what would he say to these guys to keep their heads in the game and not take their foot off the pedal?
"They'll be fine, I mean I think the biggest thing is you know you just have to keep your focus. You can tell in practice whether guys are focused or not and practice usually leads to good games. With the guys in the dressing room they're not going to let anything fester, they're going to face the issue," Recchi said.
Does Recchi think that this year's team is better than the team that won the Cup last season?
"Well it's definitely faster, definitely faster this year. I thought we were very fast last year and they even got faster this year and I think by the time playoffs come around you'll see whether they're better or not. I like what Peter's done and continued to do and I like what the guy's have done on the ice, but I think that they're the team to beat in the East again that's for sure."
Recchi has gone on the record saying that the Vancouver Canucks were one of the most arrogant teams that he has ever played against in his 22 year career. Did beating them to win the Cup make that Cup win more meaningful?
"It's meaningful for different reasons number one it's the end of my career, it's an original six team and it was the best group of guys."
Plus they discuss Tyler Seguin missing meeting and the future of fighting and concussions in the NHL.
