Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik announces retirement
After a 16 season career, Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik has announced his retirement from the NHL.
The Washington Capitals are going through a bit of change this summer. They’ve already had to say goodbye to Matt Niskanen and hello to Radko Gudas, along with saying “welcoming back” to Carl Hagelin. Now the Capitals must move on without their veteran leader, defenseman Brooks Orpik, as he has announced his retirement from the NHL.
This was an expected move, but it still hurts for the Caps. Though Orpik was in a third pairing role for most of his last two seasons in Washington, the locker room respected him immensely. The Russian players referred to him as “Batya”, which means “father”. It’s informal, but it’s a sign of high respect.
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Over his 16 season career, Orpik spent 11 years with the Pittsburgh Penguins and five with the Capitals. He won two Stanley Cups, one with each franchise. Orpik skated in 1,035 games, scoring 18 goals and putting up 194 points with 972 penalty minutes. He retires as the NHL’s third-leading scorer from the state of California.
Additionally, Orpik skated in 156 games, which is nearly two additional full seasons. He helped lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup in 2009 and the Capitals to the Stanley Cup in 2018. Orpik was scheduled to become a free agent in a few days.
It won’t be hard for the Capitals to replace him on the ice. That’s why they acquired Radko Gudas – to become their physical presence and crease clearer. Also, Jonas Siegenthaler and Christian Djoos should compete for Orpik’s left-handed spot on the third pairing, alongside Gudas.
But off the ice, it will be difficult. The Capitals locker room respected Orpik a lot, and so did the Penguins. His teammates glowed whenever they spoke about him. Orpik could have a career in coaching, as his hockey IQ is why he was able to last 16 seasons in the league despite not being a very good skater.
He’s also immensely respected and has a ton of experience. Orpik welcomed being a mentor in Washington, helping to mentor players such as Evgeny Kuznetsov, John Carlson, and Tom Wilson.
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He helped change the culture of two different franchises and I honestly have never heard a teammate say anything less than the best about him. According to Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post, he expects to go back to Boston College to finish his degree in communications.