Brooks Orpik
Encyclopedia
Brooks Orpik is an American
professional ice hockey
defenseman
, an alternate captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). His brother, Andrew, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres
organization and is also currently in the Pittsburgh Penguins
organization. He was named after Herb Brooks
, the coach of the United States men's hockey team which won the famed 1980 Miracle on Ice
game and eventually the gold medal. Orpik grew up in Amherst, New York
.
in Buffalo, NY and Thayer Academy
in Braintree, Massachusetts
. He played three seasons for Boston College
, winning the Hockey East
post-season championship in 1999 and 2001, and the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
in 2001.
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 AHL season
. He made his NHL debut during the 2002–03 season, playing in 6 games and recording no points. After earning a permanent roster spot on the team next year, Orpik played in 79 games, registering 1 goal, 9 assists, and 127 penalty minutes.
Orpik signed a six-year contract in the summer of 2008 with the Pittsburgh Penguins worth $22.5 million. In October 2008, he was named an alternate captain (interim while Sergei Gonchar
was injured) of the Penguins along with Evgeni Malkin
behind Sidney Crosby
.
On June 12, 2009, Orpik and the Pittsburgh Penguins became Stanley Cup
champions by defeating the Detroit Red Wings
in Game 7.
Later in 2009 he was invited to the U.S. Hockey orientation camp (Aug. 17-19), for the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
. Orpik represented the United States of America at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Team USA earned a silver medal.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenseman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
, an alternate captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). His brother, Andrew, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
organization and is also currently in the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
organization. He was named after Herb Brooks
Herb Brooks
Herbert Paul Brooks, Jr. was an American ice hockey player and coach. He notably coached the United States' men's hockey team to a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York on February 22, 1980...
, the coach of the United States men's hockey team which won the famed 1980 Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
game and eventually the gold medal. Orpik grew up in Amherst, New York
Amherst, New York
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
.
Playing career
Orpik attended the Nichols SchoolNichols School
Nichols School is a private, non-denominational, co-educational college-preparatory day school located in Buffalo, New York, USA. The average enrollment is 570 students with an average Upper School grade/class size of 98 students...
in Buffalo, NY and Thayer Academy
Thayer Academy
Thayer Academy is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory day school located in Braintree, Massachusetts. The academy, conceived in 1871 at the bequest of General Sylvanus Thayer, the father of the United States Military Academy, was founded in 1877...
in Braintree, Massachusetts
Braintree, Massachusetts
The Town of Braintree is a suburban city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Although officially known as a town, Braintree adopted a municipal charter, effective 2008, with a mayor-council form of government and is considered a city under Massachusetts law. The population was 35,744...
. He played three seasons for Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, winning the Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
post-season championship in 1999 and 2001, and the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known...
in 2001.
Orpik was drafted in the first round (18th overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
by the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. He began his professional career with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL) during the 2001–02 AHL season
2001–02 AHL season
The 2001–02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. It was the season of the biggest growth in the AHL's history, as it accepted eight new teams. The demise of the International Hockey League brought six teams transferring from the defunct league, in addition to two expansion...
. He made his NHL debut during the 2002–03 season, playing in 6 games and recording no points. After earning a permanent roster spot on the team next year, Orpik played in 79 games, registering 1 goal, 9 assists, and 127 penalty minutes.
Orpik signed a six-year contract in the summer of 2008 with the Pittsburgh Penguins worth $22.5 million. In October 2008, he was named an alternate captain (interim while Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
was injured) of the Penguins along with Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
behind Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
.
On June 12, 2009, Orpik and the Pittsburgh Penguins became Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champions by defeating the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in Game 7.
Later in 2009 he was invited to the U.S. Hockey orientation camp (Aug. 17-19), for the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. Orpik represented the United States of America at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Team USA earned a silver medal.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1998–99 | Boston College Boston College Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early... |
NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States... |
41 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Boston College | NCAA | 38 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 104 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Boston College | NCAA | 40 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 124 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 2001–02 AHL season The 2001–02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. It was the season of the biggest growth in the AHL's history, as it accepted eight new teams. The demise of the International Hockey League brought six teams transferring from the defunct league, in addition to two expansion... |
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
78 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 2002–03 AHL season The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season... |
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 71 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 105 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | ||
| 2002–03 | Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 79 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 127 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 2003–04 AHL season The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer.... |
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 2005–06 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 64 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 124 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 70 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 82 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 2007–08 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 78 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 57 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 79 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 73 | 24 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 22 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 73 | 2 | 23 | 25 | 64 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 63 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 66 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | ||
| NHL totals | 512 | 9 | 84 | 93 | 595 | 69 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 74 | ||||