Welcome to our series on who wore each number best for the Penguins.
The idea is being openly borrowed from our new hockey writer, Cody Tucker, and his project at the Lansing State Journal covering all the uniform numbers worn through Michigan State football history, one that's been well received by their readers and prompted heavy discussion and debate.
Under the organization of Taylor Haase, and following the voting of a big chunk of our staff, we'll publish one new one each day until completion, which should be right around the start of training camp.
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Name: Pascal Dupuis
Number: 9
Position: Left wing
Born: April 7, 1979 in Laval, Quebec
Seasons with Penguins: 2008-2015
Statistics with Penguins: 452 games, 109 goals, 138 assists in regular season, 77 games, 14 goals, 19 assists in playoffs
WHY DUPUIS?
On Feb. 26, 2008, Ray Shero pulled off a blockbuster trade that was supposed to put the Penguins over the top. It did. But just not that season or quite how the Penguins GM -- or anyone else -- had envisioned. The Penguins dealt Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and their first-round pick in the 2008 Draft to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for Marian Hossa and Dupuis.
Hossa, of course, was the big prize in the trade. The Czech was coming off a 43-goal, 100-point season and was arguably the best defensive forward in the game. Dupuis? He was just a throw-in. However, after the Penguins lost the 2008 Stanley Cup Final to Detroit, Hossa signed as a free agent with the Red Wings claiming that Detroit gave him his best chance to win a championship. Well, funny thing happened. The Penguins got over the hump in 2008-09 and they did it by avenging their loss to Detroit, beating Hossa and the Red Wings in a seven-game classic. Though Dupuis had only 28 points that season, he soon took on an increased role and enjoyed four highly-productive seasons with Pittsburgh.
Dupuis' goal 9:56 into overtime erased a three-goal deficit as the Penguins beat Ottawa in Game 6 of the first round in 2010:
In 2011-12 the speedy French Canadian set career highs with 25 goals and 59 points. The following season, he led the NHL with a plus-31 rating in just 48 lockout-shortened games. All the while, Dupuis established himself as a favorite among teammates and fans. That in part made the end of Dupuis' career all the more heartbreaking. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in December of 2013. Then, in November of 2014, his season was cut short after being diagnosed with a blood clot to the lung. He came back to play the 2015-16 season but managed just 18 games while playing on blood thinners before experiencing chest pains in a Dec. 1 game, which forced him to retire. Still, when the Penguins won the Cup in San Jose on June 12, 2016, Dupuis was the third player to lift the trophy over his head after Sidney Crosby and Trevor Daley, whose mother was terminally ill with cancer.
WHAT'S HE DOING NOW?
After retiring from hockey at age 36, Dupuis served briefly as a part-time scout for the Penguins. These days he's doing some TV work in his native Quebec and is serving as a coach on his son's youth hockey teams.
IT WAS SPOKEN
"Basically I came in here, people thought I was just carrying Marian Hossa’s sticks around, his equipment. And I ended up being a piece of a puzzle that made this team successful since I’ve been here.” -- Dupuis, on his trade to Pittsburgh.
"You couldn't ask for a better ending. The fact that I'm here on the ice, in full equipment, can't go out on a better note." -- Dupuis, on winning his second Stanley Cup with the Penguins.
HONORABLE MENTIONS AT NO. 9
Chuck Arnason
Andy Bathgate
Mark Johnson
Ron Flockhart
John Chabot
Any debate?
Not really. Bathgate scored the first goal in franchise history and is a Hall of Famer but his number No. 9 hangs from the rafters at Madison Square Garden for the Rangers. Arnason had a few decent seasons in the mid-70s. Johnson is Badger Bob's son and is American hockey royalty. But no one came close to Dupuis for greater impact on the Penguins.
Tomorrow: DK has No. 10.
Yesterday: Mark Recchi
