Even the best NHLers bounce around

If Mark Recchi’s NHL career ends in the same city where it began, it won’t be by the former Pittsburgh winger’s choice.

The NHL’s 23rd all-time leading scorer, who cleared waivers Wednesday, is likely to get bought out and signed by another club seeking the kind of veteran leadership that he delivered in Carolina’s 2006 Stanley Cup run. Recchi, a two-time Cup winner, has also suited up for the Philadelphia Flyers (on two separate occasions) and the Montreal Canadiens.

Considering the weight of Recchi’s accomplishments, that spells out just how unusual it is to play your entire career with one franchise.

Of course, given the right circumstances and salary, many players would love to pull off that feat. Care to guess how many of the NHL’s all-time top 100 scorers have done it?

The answer, as of Thursday, December 6, 2007, is 18.

Steve Yzerman (Detroit)
Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh)
Joe Sakic (Quebec/Colorado)
Stan Mikita (Chicago)
Gilbert Perreault (Buffalo)
Alex Delvecchio (Detroit)
Mike Modano (Dallas)
Jean Beliveau (Montreal)
Bobby Clarke (Philadelphia)
Mike Bossy (New York Islanders)
Dave Taylor (Los Angeles)
Denis Potvin (New York Islanders)
Henri Richard (Montreal)
Rod Gilbert (New York Rangers)
Maurice Richard (Montreal)
Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit)
Bill Barber (Philadelphia)
Yvan Cournoyer (Montreal)
Apart from being in the top 100 scorers, what else do these names have in common that could have facilitated their one-franchise status?

The two relevant criteria that jump out first to me are:

1) Winning at least one Stanley Cup. (Exceptions: Perreault, Taylor and Gilbert.)

2) Captaining their club at one time or another. (Exceptions: Bossy and Gilbert.)