Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Orpik suffers from concussion, including memory loss

orpikstretcherap

James OBrien

The Pittsburgh Penguins provided some updates on injured defenseman Brooks Orpik, and while there’s a little optimism sprinkled into the mix, it’s mostly disturbing news.

The team announced that the 33-year-old is dealing with a concussion. In addition to that, he’s experiencing soreness in his neck and back alongside headaches.

“(Sunday) he definitely had soreness because of the situation in the neck and back and had a headache,” Head coach Dan Bylsma said. “He’s dealing with a concussion. I don’t know how long that’s going to be.”

NHL.com’s Dan Rosen fills in some troubling details about Orpik’s memory loss:

Shero said Orpik doesn’t remember anything that happened after the anthem Saturday night. He’s doing OK, resting, has headaches, neck ache.

— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) December 10, 2013


There was some optimism regarding Orpik’s condition on Monday morning, but it turns out that was relative, as his status was at least promising compared to being taken off the ice on a stretcher (as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Seth Rorabaugh reports).

The hockey world is still waiting to see what kind of punishment Shawn Thornton (currently suspended indefinitely) will receive for the incident that injured Orpik. The Penguins defenseman drew Thornton’s ire for a big hit on Loui Eriksson, which left the Bruins forward concussed.

The Penguins already placed Orpik on the IR earlier on Monday.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins