By Kamloops This Week
Mark Recchi will be inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017.
The Hall announced Recchi’s upcoming induction during a ceremony to name the 2017 class last week in Vancouver.
The Kamloops native, 48, had a professional career that spanned from 1988 to 2011. He played two seasons with the Kamloops Blazers before being drafted in the fourth round, 67th overall, of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. His No. 8 was retired by the Blazers.
Recchi played 1,652 NHL games with the Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Atlanta Thrashers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins, amassing 956 points, including 577 goals. He won three Stanley Cups — one each with the Penguins, Hurricanes and Bruins — and was a seven-time all-star.
He is now a part owner of the Blazers and a player development coach for the Penguins.
Joining Recchi in the athlete category will be cyclist Roland Green, B.C. Lions’ great Geroy Simon, wheelchair racer Michelle Stilwell and rugby player Mark Wyatt.
Wheelchair basketball coach Tim Frick, UBC Thunderbirds football coach Frank Smith, and George and Diane Tidball, who built the Thunderbird ShowPark equestrian facilities in Langley, will be inducted as builders.
The 1969-1970 UBC Thunderettes basketball team will be inducted in the team category and Chang Keun Choi, one of 12 original masters of taekwondo, was added in the pioneer category.
David Sidoo won the WAC Bennett Award.
The induction ceremony will be held on April 12 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.