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Brooks Orpik

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Brooks Orpik

Richard Brooks Orpik (born September 26, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey player. A defenseman, he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). A stay-at-home defenseman and locker room leader, Orpik is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with the Penguins in 2009 and with the Capitals in 2018 (the only player to win with both teams).

He served as an assistant coach of the Boston College Eagles under Jerry York in the NCAA. Orpik is also a member in the player development department for the Washington Capitals, where his role is to work with defensive prospects playing for the Hershey Bears.

Orpik was born in San Francisco, a few months after the U.S. "Miracle on Ice" win over the Soviet Union in Lake Placid, New York, in 1980. Due to this, he was named after American Olympic head coach Herb Brooks. Orpik (as well as his brother Andrew) grew up in Amherst, New York. Orpik attended the Nichols School in Buffalo and Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts.

Orpik played three seasons at Boston College for the Eagles ice hockey team, winning the Hockey East playoff championship in 1999 and 2001, as well as the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship in 2001. His younger brother Andrew was also a hockey player, playing for Boston College and having a brief minor league career.

Orpik was drafted in the first round, 18th overall, of the 2000 NHL entry draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He began his professional career with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) during the 2001–02 season. He made his NHL debut during the 2002–03 season, playing in six games and recording no points. After earning a permanent roster spot on the team the next year, Orpik played in 79 games, registering one goal, nine assists and 127 penalty minutes.

On March 4, 2006, Orpik boarded Carolina Hurricanes forward Erik Cole, fracturing a vertebra in Cole's neck. Orpik was suspended three games for the illegal hit. Cole did not return until game 6 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.

In the summer of 2008, Orpik signed a new six-year, $22.5 million contract with the Penguins. In October 2008, he was named an alternate captain (interim while Sergei Gonchar was injured) of the Penguins, along with Evgeni Malkin, behind captain Sidney Crosby.

On June 12, 2009, Orpik and the Penguins became Stanley Cup champions by defeating the Detroit Red Wings in game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final. He was the first native of California to win the Stanley Cup.[citation needed]

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