Brooks Orpik
Two-time Stanley Cup champion defenseman for Penguins and Capitals.
Last updated
Brooks Orpik is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with the Penguins in 2009 and with the Capitals in 2018, making him the only player to win with both franchises.
Lore & Background
Orpik was born in San Francisco a few months after the U.S. 'Miracle on Ice' win and was named after American Olympic head coach Herb Brooks. He grew up in Amherst, New York, attended Nichols School in Buffalo and Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts. He played three seasons at Boston College, winning the Hockey East playoff championship in 1999 and 2001 and the NCAA championship in 2001.
Drafted 18th overall by the Penguins in 2000, Orpik began his professional career with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. He made his NHL debut in 2002–03 and earned a permanent roster spot the following season. Known as a stay-at-home defenseman and locker room leader, he served as an alternate captain for the Penguins in 2008. He scored his first career playoff goal in overtime of game six in 2013 to eliminate the New York Islanders.
Orpik signed with the Capitals as a free agent in 2014. He scored the game-winning goal in game two of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
After being traded to Colorado and then bought out, he re-signed with Washington for one season. He scored an overtime game-winning goal in the 2019 playoffs against Carolina, his last NHL goal. He retired in 2019 and was hired by the Capitals as a Player Development coach.
Reader's Guide
Brooks Orpik's career is defined by his role as a reliable stay-at-home defenseman and his unique achievement of winning the Stanley Cup with both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. He was a key part of the Penguins' 2009 championship team, playing a physical, defensive style. His tenure with the Capitals culminated in the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 2018, where he scored a crucial game-winning goal in the Final.
Orpik's leadership was recognized with a nomination for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2018. After retiring, he transitioned into coaching and player development, working with Boston College as an assistant coach and later with the Capitals' development department, focusing on defensive prospects. His career also included representing the United States at the World Junior Championships and winning a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Career statistics and honours
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1996–97 | Thayer Academy | HS–Prep | 20 | 4 | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Thayer Academy | HS–Prep | 22 | 0 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Boston College | HE | 41 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 96 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–00 | Boston College | HE | 38 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 104 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | Boston College | HE | 40 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 124 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 78 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 71 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 105 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 2002–03 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 79 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 127 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | 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 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 79 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 73 | 24 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 22 |
| 2009–10 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 73 | 2 | 23 | 25 | 64 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 2010–11 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 63 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 66 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
| 2011–12 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 73 | 2 | 16 | 18 | 61 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2012–13 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 46 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 32 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 2013–14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 72 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 46 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014–15 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 78 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 66 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 2015–16 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 41 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2016–17 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 79 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 48 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
| 2017–18 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 81 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 68 | 24 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 15 |
| 2018–19 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 53 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 32 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 1,035 | 18 | 176 | 194 | 972 | 156 | 4 | 22 | 26 | 132 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | United States | WJC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2006 | United States | WC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2010 | United States | OLY | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | United States | OLY | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Junior totals | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| Senior totals | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | ||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| Stanley Cup champion | 2009, 2018 | |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | ||
| Defensive Player of the Year | 2010 | |
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Brooks Orpik (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
More in Pittsburgh Penguins Players
Test yourself
Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.
Answers checked against the source article
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Brooks Orpik (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced