Brooks Orpik was born September 26, 1980 in Amherst, NY. The first round, 18th overall selection of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Orpik who is known for his aggressive play on the blue line graduated from Thayer Academy in 1998 and went on to attend Boston College later that fall.
In three seasons with Boston College, twice Orpik would lead the Hockey East in penalty minutes and was a key player in the team's 2001 NCAA Championship title run before making his professional debut with the Penguins AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre Scranton the following year. After two strong seasons in the AHL, Orpik made his NHL debut with Pittsburgh during the 2002-03 season before becoming a regular with the Pens in 2003-04.
In 2009, in a 7-game epic Stanley Cup Final, the Penguins would dethrone the Red Wings and earn the franchise's third Stanley Cup title. He would appear in all 24 playoff games for the Penguins, providing stability from the back end.
In 2010, Orpik was part of the US Olympic team that brought home the silver medal in a thrilling overtime final at the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
