- Brooks Orpik
Infobox Ice Hockey Player
position = Defense
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 2
weight_lb = 219
team =Pittsburgh Penguins
league = NHL
nationality = USA
birth_date = Birth date and age|1980|9|26|mf=y
birth_place = San Francisco, CA
career_start =2002
draft = 18th overall
draft_year = 2000
draft_team =Pittsburgh Penguins
image_size = 200px
nickname =Brooks Orpik aka FREE CANDY (b.
September 26 ,1980 in San Francisco,California ) is an Americanice-hockey defenseman with thePittsburgh Penguins of theNational Hockey League . His brother Andrew Orpik is in theBuffalo Sabres organization.Playing career
Orpik attended the
Nichols School , inBuffalo, NY andThayer Academy inBraintree, Massachusetts . [cite web|url=http://bceagles.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/orpik_brooks00.html|title=Boston College player profile|accessdate=2008-04-02] He played three seasons forBoston College , winning theHockey East post-season championship in 1999 and 2001, and theNCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship in 2001.He was the first round pick of the
Pittsburgh Penguins (18th overall) in the2000 NHL entry draft .Orpik began playing professionally with the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of theAmerican Hockey League during the2001-02 AHL season . He made his NHL debut during the 2002-03 season, playing in 6 games, but recording no points. After earning a permanent roster spot on the team next year, Orpik contributed in 79 games, tallying 1 goal, 9 assists, and 127 penalty minutes.On
March 4 ,2006 , Orpik roughly checkedErik Cole of theCarolina Hurricanes from behind and into the boards during the third period. Cole suffered a fractured C5vertebra in his neck and was out for the rest of the season. Orpik was suspended for 3 games. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/cup/2006-05-21-cole_x.htm] Allen, Kevin. USA Today:Orpik's hit, broken neck still troubling to Cole. 5/21-22/2006.] Brooks Signed a six-year contract in the summer of 2008 with the Pittsburgh Penguins worth $22.5 million. [cite news |first= Ron|last= Cook|title= Orpik-Therrien relationship takes strange turns|url= http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08284/918901-61.stm?cmpid=sports.xml|publisher= "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "|date= 2008-10-10|accessdate=2008-10-10] In October 2008 Brooks Orpik was named a alternate captain replacing Sergei Gonchar who will be out for four to six months with a shoulder injury.References
External links
*hockeydb|45036
*legendsofhockey|19573
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