Recchi brings out the bling

KELOWNA, B.C. -- Mark Recchi said he doesn't know much about coaching, but he certainly knows how to inspire the next generation of NHL stars.

Recchi, who is coaching Team Cherry here at the 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, brought his three Stanley Cup rings into the locker room before the skills contest last night. The players clearly were impressed with the championship jewelry Recchi earned with the 1991 Penguins, the 2006 Hurricanes and 2011 Bruins.

"What a sight that was," center Brendan Gaunce told NHL.com. "Each of those rings takes up your whole finger. I thought the ring I won as a ninth-grader playing football in the Metro Bowl was pretty big, but that had one stone and those Stanley Cup rings had something like 25 stones … I've never seen anything like it."
 
"They looked like they weighed 30 pounds each," added defenseman Ryan Murray.

"They were pretty good," Recchi told NHL.com. "They quietly got up real quick. I just put them in the middle of the room. They could do what they want with it. It was good."

Everything's been good for Recchi since he ended his 22-year career following last June's Cup win. When he hasn't been home with his wife and children, he's done TV work for the NHL Network, skated in the alumni game at the 2012 Winter Classic, and spent time with the junior team he co-owns, the Kamloops Blazers.

"It's been great," he said. "I haven't done much. I still watch games every night, look at stats every day. Other than that, it's been really good. Just taking a break, getting away from it a little bit, playing with my kids and hanging out. The good thing about it is I don't have to be in a hurry."

As he dabbles in everything to figure out what's next, he figured coaching would be something new to try.

"Bruce Hamilton (Kelowna owner/GM) asked me if I was interested and I said absolutely," said Recchi. "I have no idea how to coach, but I've been around it enough. There's not a lot that goes into it. (Kelowna coach Ryan) Huska has been great. He's really the one leading the charge. I'm just trying to push pucks around and have fun with the guys."

Recchi also talked to my colleague Mike G. Morreale about the changes in junior players and the draft from his younger days, the advice he's been giving his players and which players have impressed him the most -- including which defenseman reminded him of a certain Hall of Famer. You won't want to miss that story when it goes up a little later today.

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK