DALLAS — Eligible for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame for the first time in 2015, Penguins assistant coach Mark Recchi kept busy by, of all things, furniture shopping.
A year ago, Recchi was lucky. The call from chairman Lanny McDonald came early in the day, while Recchi was in a meeting. The waiting, Recchi insisted this past week, really was the hardest part.
“I just kept telling myself, ‘Stay busy, stay busy,’” Recchi recalled. “Whatever I could do to keep my mind off of it.”
Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has been experiencing something similar, as there’s a very good chance he could receive the same call Tuesday when the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 is announced.