
Brooks Orpik 2011-12 Game worn alternate jersey
Brooks Orpik was drafted 18th overall in the 2000 NHL entry draft. It was the first draft I remember watching, and I vividly remember drafting the hulking defenseman with the weird name. Brooks was a inaugural member of the infamous X Generation era of Penguins hockey, which marked the transition from the Lemieux/Jagr era into what would become the Crosby/Malkin era… though at the time neither of those players were on the team, and thus the Penguins finished last or close to last for several years running.
Orpik made his mark as a physical shutdown defenseman, capable of making huge open ice hits and locking things down in front of the net when needed. When the Penguins eventually made their first modern finals appearance in 2008, Orpik became a minor part of Penguins lore for “The Shift,” wherein he laid out a handful of Red Wings in the span of fourteen seconds. His steely gaze earned him the nickname “Free Candy” amongst PensBlog readers, and his hits became opportunities to “hand out free candy,” though the nickname originated from a less generous place.
Orpik would win his first Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009, receive his first Norris trophy votes in 2012-12, and is the all time Penguins leader in hits with 2,187. In 2011-12, when this jersey was worn, he finished 6th in the NHL in hits (3rd highest hit total of his career), and scored two of his 18 career goals, including one in this jersey vs. the Avalanche. He finished with his fourth highest career point total, and logged the highest average ice time per game of his career.
This jersey was worn for eleven games and shows minor wear, including two unrepaired holes, a stick mark, board burns, interior pilling, and pulled threads from where the A was removed before the Predators game in March. It it matched to several photos from that season.