2016 Winter Classic Alumni Game presented by Molson Canadian Post-Game Interview MARK RECCHI MARCO STURM RAY BOURQUE Our Coverage Sponsored by Stribling and Associates
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Q. Rex, you're a little of a handful of guys here who has seen this rivalry from both sides. How did you look at this whole event in that light?
MARK RECCHI: Well, it's just a testament to the history of the two teams and the traditions that these two teams have. To be part of both of them at some point is special. They're special organizations, and the rivalry is incredible. Even when at times their teams haven't been that great, the rivalry is still there. It's just a fun thing to be a part of. To get an opportunity to play alumni game is very special.
Q. Rex, back during the year of the Chara-Pacioretty incident, you were famously nicknamed Dr. Recchi after some comments. I'm sure you're aware of that. But following your years with the Bruins, how have you changed your sentiment of the Montreal Canadiens which you had played for for a decade before?
MARK RECCHI: Yeah, I respect every organization in this league, and no different than the Montreal Canadiens. It was a special place to play. I got to play in the Forum at the time. I moved over to the new arena. So it was a really great time. I had five wonderful years there. The people treated me phenomenal. The organization treated me great. It's no different than anything. I have all the respect in the world for the Montreal Canadiens. They're one of the most storied franchises in the NHL and in sports in general.
Q. This is for both of you, how did it feel to be playing outdoors again? Now that you've both hung up the skates, have you reflected on your time in Boston and obviously helping the city, helping the franchise reignite the flame a little bit while you were here?
MARCO STURM: I mean, I think it's great. In your career there's not too many times I think you have a chance to play outdoors in the Winter Classic. So I think good for me I had one, and I think good for me today I had a second one. But there are a lot of guys in this league that don't have a chance to play in one. I think it's really cool. It was really special. Fenway was amazing. It's a great story. I'm sure this one tomorrow will be a great event also.
MARK RECCHI: Yeah, I mean to get an opportunity to come back five years and we had an opportunity to play at Fenway, and to come back and represent the Bruins again. Jeremy scoring the huge goal there to win in overtime and to come back and score another nice goal today, it's a fun thing to be a part of. You never forget this stuff. Our kids will never forget it, and there are just special moments throughout your career that you really enjoy.
Q. Rex, I was talking to one of the referees out there, and he was just saying in the beginning of the game it seemed a bit chummy out there, but as it goes on, you can start to feel the rivalry again. Is that how you sensed it out there?
MARK RECCHI: Always, always. That's how it starts. And the pace we were picking up halfway through the second. It got better and better as it went on, no question. Hey, guys played in the NHL for a reason. They were competitive and they wanted to win. It's no different when you get out there. It's a little loose to start, but then it heats up all the time. You see a little extra effort and a little extra backchecking and stuff like that. So there is no doubt about it.
Q. Just another follow-up for you both. When you're out in an alumni game, do you remember how you studied certain goalies like that? Both of you played against Theodore. Do you remember the weak spots and try to expose those while you're out there even in the alumni game?
MARCO STURM: Now I hang out with him in Florida, so I should know, right? But, of course, I think there are always the goalies you kind of remember. You have those weak spots, I would say, in the back of your head a little bit. But he was pretty good today, so I don't know. But, yeah, I can only say for me, but, yeah, there's goalies where you think you have the best chance to score goals. You try to go that way as much as you can, but, I don't know. I'm going to hear that a lot from Theo, for sure, here in the future.
Q. Marco, were you happy or relieved to see him out of the game for the start of the third period?
MARCO STURM: Yeah, definitely. He was pretty good. He was moving. I know he didn't skate at all, so I'm like, oh, he's still got it. But, you know, I think all the goalies, even the other goalie, I think he made some pretty good saves too and our goalies also. So there's a lot of guys that don't skate match anymore, but they looked pretty good tonight.
Q. For both of you, can you think back, I know it's a while, but can you think back to your childhood where you played outside and what that was like? And were there times today where this resonated that reminded you of that?
MARK RECCHI: Now you're making the stink eye. Absolutely. Skating on the ponds, the lakes, freezing in our driveways, it brings you back to it, no question. Those were such good times. We'd go from playing a game in the rink to getting a bunch of us together and going out wherever it was. If our parents could take us to the lake. But somebody always had a driveway that was frozen too. So you had the snow banks. If the boards were the snowbanks, and you had to make sure you had a bunch of pucks because you lose them half the time. It was just a blast. You never forget those days.
My son, I know my son right now, he keeps talking about how he wants to do that. He wants to go out and skate on lakes and stuff. So I've got to make sure I give him that opportunity as well.
Q. Does it feel good to play outdoors again?
MARK RECCHI: It does, absolutely. It's a great feeling being out there like that. In open atmosphere, it's good. You know, it's a pretty good set-up here as well. So you could feel the proud a little bit, and it was good.
MARCO STURM: Yeah, same thing. Growing up in Germany, playing actually Juniors in arenas with no roofs on it or even outside where everything is open. So I kind of had the feeling. I think today, Fenway, it's about points. We're kind of in the game a lot. You can't really enjoy what's going on outside. I think today I enjoyed it a little bit. Even we had a good ending in Fenway, but all day today, all game I was kind of looking outside and enjoyed it a little bit more because we don't have to play for points.
But, yeah, that's stuff that you kind of realize stuff like that, how you grew up and how you skated on ponds and open hockey rinks.
Q. You guys were the younger guys in this game. Was it fun to see the older guys out there who were flying around and diving in front of pucks and stuff like that?
MARCO STURM: For sure. He's one of them, and, no, it's great. For me, it's a great honor to be involved, and as soon as I got that call, I was very humbled about that. The Boston Bruins are a big franchise. I had a great time here, but now playing with them and being on the ice and being on the bench with them in the same room, I'll never forget that.
Q. Ray, you were part of the team that really took it to Montreal in the playoffs after years of Montreal dominating Boston. I'm just wondering after looking back if you had a theory on why you had their number so much, because they were a good team too. Also with those teams, it seems you guys had a bit of bad luck because you went to two Finals and played a powerhouse team. Or you went with the Penguins with Mario. Do you look back and think, man, that team should have gone all the way one of the years?
RAY BOURQUE: Yeah, I think we had a really good run after '88. '87 '88 after finally beating Montreal, I don't know. It was 45, 44 years it had been. After that, like you said, we had some pretty good success. Went to the Cup in '88. Had a really tough match-up with the Oilers, with Gretzky, '90, I thought we matched up way better. I thought we were deeper. I thought we had enough to get it done. First game goes into triple overtime. We lose that one, then we come out and play pretty well after two periods and outshooting them really bad. We're down 3-1, I think, going into the third. Then we fell behind the eight ball, never could recover.
We go to two Finals and we play Edmonton twice, and then Pittsburgh goes back-to-back and plays Minnesota and Chicago. No disrespect to any of those teams, but I wouldn't mind that match-up instead of the Oilers.
But it was a lot of fun for me, especially, being from Montreal. I used to go back for the summers back then. So finally beating Montreal. And I got there in '79, so we didn't have that much success until '87, '88, so for me it was such a nice summer, the summer of '88.
Q. For all three of you. With over 42,000 fans here, what's that go through your mind and what's that say about the fan bases of each organization?
RAY BOURQUE: It's like I say, this town is so passionate about the sports. You know the game tomorrow will be sold out and everybody pretty much has a ticket to come to this game if they wanted. But I was thinking 20-, 30,000 would be fantastic. To be on the ice and looking up, seeing the amount of people, I thought we'd just have a little dent. It was really -- you could see a big crowd out there, and the atmosphere was great.
So it just says so much about this town. I shouldn't be surprised, but I thought it was a really fun game to be a part of and to play in and to watch to have it go down to a shootout, I think that was pretty neat. You could see at the end there, both teams did not want to lose.
Q. Cam and Don are part of the management team overseeing the Bruins resurgence. What's that like seeing them at the top of the resurgence?
RAY BOURQUE: I think it makes complete sense. Both guys are character guys and worked hard and they're great teammates and great leaders and did it the right way. They both know what a Bruin should be all about. So when you have those two guys leading the way and putting the team together, you know, I think you have a huge advantage.
The Bruins have always been known for hard-working teams, teams that are tough to play against, and to have success and teams that have had success over the years with tradition and all that stuff, and they were a big part of that. So for them to run the show and put a team together and win the Cup in 2011 was really a lot of fun to watch.
Face it, in today's game with the salary cap, it is so hard. It is so hard to put a team together or keep a team together. So in the Bruins case right now, maybe at the beginning of the year we thought a tough start might be tough. But I think they're proving to us that they're Bruins and they'll fight until the end, and they're back in the race here. So it's really fun to see.
Q. For Ray and Marco, a lot of people I spoke to recently said they're looking forward to seeing both of you back in the black and gold. How does that feel to be wearing Bruins jerseys again?
MARCO STURM: Well, for me, I bleed black and gold. I left for a short time there, but I've been wearing this jersey for quite a while with the alumni. I've traveled all over the Maritimes playing with the alumni and with my ex-teammates. I live 25 minutes from the city, and I'm not going anywhere. For me, it's always a thrill to wear this jersey.
RAY BOURQUE: Same thing. I mean to answer your question, yeah. I mean, it's great. I was watching the Bruins game the other night against Ottawa at home, and kind of miss it. I don't really miss it when I'm in Florida, but when you're actually in the rink and watching these guys and actually play with most of the guys too, you kind of miss it. So any chance we have to put on this nice jersey, I think it's pretty special. I hope, that was my first one with the alumni, and I hope there's more to come.
Q. Mark, over the last two years of your career, you kind of took Patrice Bergeron under your wing. How appreciative are you of his success that he's having right now?
MARK RECCHI: He's finally getting the recognition that he really deserves. He's a special guy. He's a special player. He always was. He got banged up there before I came back, but to me, he's one of the top players in the NHL.
I tell my son, if you want to watch a guy, that's who you watch. He's his favorite player now. To me, he's everything what a leader should be. He's a bro. He comes to practice every day, he's a great teammate, and to me, I think he's a great example of how you win championships in having a guy like him.
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