Beyond making up for lost time with his family, Brooks Orpik wasn’t sure what he wanted to do next after retiring from the NHL.
Monday that question was answered. Orpik was named to the Capitals’ Player Development Department where he will work with defensive prospects primarily with the Hershey Bears. The role seems similar to the one that Olie Kolzig has in the organization.
Justin Cox is the talented graphic designer for the Colorado Rockies. But on Tuesday, he turned his powers towards hockey.
In honor of Brooks Orpik’s recent retirement, Cox designed Brooks Orpik’s name and number onto an Avalanche banner in honor of his two days of Very Important Service to his favorite hockey team. “Raise 44 to the rafters,” Cox wrote on Twitter.
As of publishing, Cox has gotten nearly 600 retweets and likes combined on his design.
Brooks Orpik officially hung up his skates on Tuesday, but was back at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex again the very next day. The expectation was Orpik would not be at camp, instead flying home back to Boston.
But wearing a black t-shirt that read “District of Columbia” on the front, the retired veteran defenseman stood behind the bench and observed behind the glass as he watched prospects for over an hour do skating drills in at Development Camp. At one point, he turned to a Capitals staff member to ask the name of one of the players on the ice.
It was a sight that has sparked discussion among Capitals fans wondering if one day they might see Orpik behind the bench in a coaching role.
By Elizabeth Kong 6 months ago
Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik met with the media Tuesday afternoon after the team announced his retirement in the morning. Orpik got emotional several times during the interview when describing how much pain he was in after having arthroscopic knee surgery on November 20.
“I guess it doesn’t matter (if I’m honest) at this point,” Orpik said. “I’d use the elevator at Verizon to go up and down because I couldn’t go up and down the stairs. When I couldn’t do that, it was probably time to stop playing hockey. It was at a point where I could play for two and a half hours and pay for it afterward and try to do it all over again. The trainers helped me out a lot here this year and I almost felt guilty because they’ve got 23, 24 guys to take care of and I was taking up so much of their time.”
Despite Orpik’s struggles, head coach Todd Reirden played the veteran defenseman in virtually every game down the stretch.
“He’s a professional in every meaning of the word,” Reirden said. “That just is another part of the lore of who and what Brooks Orpik is and will continue to be in whatever he decides to do with his life. That was a difficult situation for him to battle through with his knee. It was something he didn’t complain about, he didn’t talk a lot about it. If it was going to affect his ability to play the game we would have made a different decision. He did a lot of good things for our team still. I thought he played well in the playoffs. Sometimes the body just gets to a point where you can’t do it anymore without causing yourself some real permanent damage down the road. The Capitals are so fortunate to have had this guy come here and was a major factor in us winning the Stanley Cup.”
Orpik said he made the decision early in the season. ‘I didn’t want to play through the pain’ any more, he said. Orpik also cited wanting to spend more time with his family, in particular, his two daughters Harlow and Brooklyn.
Brooks Oprik announced his retirement through a Capitals release on Tuesday morning.
During his time in Washington, the hulking defenseman left an indelible impact on his teammates. From his big goals to his big hits, Capitals players looked up to Orpik as a leader, role model, and friend. On social media and in statements released through the team, the Capitals showered Orpik with praise and thanked him for his time in Washington.
“Batya was a great leader in our locker room and was so important for us to win our first Stanley Cup,” Alex Ovechkin said.
“He is a terrific person and a friend,” TJ Oshie said.
“Thanks for always looking after me on and off the ice,” Andre Burakovsky said. “You have been a true friend and role model for me.”
Hockey players can sometimes be inarticulate. This is not one of those times.
By Ian Oland 6 months ago
The Washington Capitals announced on Tuesday that 38-year-old defender Brooks Orpik has retired. “I’ve been extremely lucky to have the best job in the world for many years, but my body is telling me it is time to move on to something new,” says Orpik in a press release.
In 15 seasons, Orpik played 1,035 NHL games, 332 of them with the Capitals, the team with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2018. Orpik scored the first game-winning goal in a Cup final in Washington Capitals franchise history. He retires a legend.
By Peter Hassett 6 months ago
Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan made a rare appearance in front of the media on Thursday to discuss all the happenings of the team from injuries to the NHL Draft.
The most interesting part of the discussion came when Mac took questions on the team’s philosophy on moves this summer and beyond. The Capitals have a glut of middle and bottom six forwards that are free agents including Jakub Vrana, Andre Burakovsky, Brett Connolly, and Devante Smith-Pelly. Braden Holtby and Nicklas Backstrom are also unrestricted free agents the summer of 2021 and can begin negotiations on a new deal as soon as July 1.
We wrote about how the Capitals would like to bring back Andre Burakovsky, but are listening to offers. Here’s what MacLellan had to say on the others.
General manager Brian MacLellan built the team that brought the Cup to DC for the very first time, but what comes next will be even tougher.
By Peter Hassett 6 months ago
Brooks Orpik’s contract with the Washington Capitals ends in July and his future with the organization is a virtual unknown. Will the unrestricted free agent re-sign, retire, or play next season elsewhere? Saturday morning, the defenseman showed he remained committed to the DC area despite all those lingering questions and put in some hard work to support a local rink.
Orpik and one hundred Capitals fans volunteered their time to help spruce up the historic Fort Dupont Ice Arena, the only public indoor ice arena located in Washington DC. This is the tenth consecutive year that the Capitals have organized this volunteer event at Fort Dupont.
“It’s been great, these volunteers come out consistently and we have both familiar faces and new faces and it’s really exciting to see a community that’s interested in helping other people get engaged in the sport,” said Brittany Greene, Community Outreach and Enrichment Coordinator for Friends of Fort Dupont.
The arena impacts the lives of over 3,000 kids in the area, many of them from under-served communities. Fort Dupont’s Kids on Ice program provides free and subsidized programs to teach children to skate.
By Elizabeth Kong 6 months ago
Two-time Stanley Cup champion Brooks Orpik may have already seen the end of his pro playing career. If that’s the case, he will retire a legend.
By Peter Hassett 6 months ago
