On August 18, 2000, Dupuis was signed by the Minnesota Wild. It took Dupuis a year of development in the International Hockey League before he became a regular player in the NHL. In his second full season, he scored 20 goals and 48 points while having a plus-minus rating of +17. However, in 2003–04, he was bothered by injuries and he was unable to improve on his totals from the previous year.[citation needed]
On February 9, 2008, Dupuis was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with Marián Hossa, in exchange for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and their first-round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.[2] He scored 2 goals and 10 assists for 12 points through 16 games with the Penguins as they qualified for the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs.[3] As the Penguins advanced through the playoffs, Hossa and Dupuis flanked Sidney Crosby as the top line wingers.[4] He was one of six players to score in the Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals to lead the Penguins to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals.[5] Following their loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Dupuis finished the playoffs with two goals and five assists for seven points through 20 playoff games.[3]
Dupuis chatting with team captain Sidney Crosby in October 2010.
Although Dupuis was eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2007–08 season, he signed a three-year contract extension to remain with the Penguins.[6] When Dupuis returned to the Penguins for the 2008–09 season, he spent time on their third line for a bottom-six forward role while Ruslan Fedotenko was tested out on Crosby's wing.[7] On December 11, 2008, Dupuis and Petr Sýkora both scored their first NHL hat-tricks in a 9–2 win over the New York Islanders.[8] As the season continued, Dupuis returned to Crosby's wing until head coach Michel Therrien was replaced with Dan Bylsma in February 2009. Under Bylsma, Dupuis fell down the lineup and remained in a mostly bottom-six forward role throughout the season.[9] Bylsma and Dupuois later spoke about their conflicts, with Bylsma saying, "When I came here it maybe wasn't the best time for Pascal... There were some things that maybe didn't endear me to Pascal."[10] As the Penguins defeated the Red Wings for the 2009 Stanley Cup, Dupuis remained pointless over 16 games while being scratched eight times over the playoffs.[9]
On November 14, 2009, Dupuis scored his 100th career goal, an overtime game winner against the Boston Bruins.[11] After a game against the New York Islanders in January 2010, Dupuis missed one game to recover from a laceration above his right eye.[12] The perpetrator, Andy Sutton, was suspended for two games.[13] Following an injury to Bill Guerin, Dupuis rejoined Crosby on the Penguins top line where he experienced a resurgence in scoring.[14] He finished the regular season with a career-high 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points through 81 games.[3] In the 2010 playoffs, Dupuis scored 9:56 into overtime to help the Penguins eliminate the Ottawa Senators from the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.[15]
Dupuis with the Penguins in January 2011.
Following the retirement of forward Bill Guerin in the 2010 off-season, Dupuis found himself back on Crosby's line full-time, along with Chris Kunitz.[16] The trio found success as a line and they were all expected to set new career highs in goals and points.[17] On December 18, in an 8–3 win over the Buffalo Sabres, Dupuis recorded his 300th career NHL point.[18] After Crosby suffered a concussion during the 2011 NHL Winter Classic, Mark Letestu was tested out as the new centre between Kunitz and Dupuis.[19] Letestu was eventually replaced with Evgeni Malkin down the stretch.[20] After James Neal was acquired from the Dallas Stars at the NHL trade deadline, he became the left winger between Jordan Staal and Dupuis on the Penguins' top line.[21] He finished the regular season with 17 points and 20 assists for 37 points through 81 games.[22] Dupuis scored one goal in the Penguins first round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning as the team fell in seven games.[23] On June 28, 2011, Dupuis signed a two-year contract with the Penguins, keeping him through the 2012–13 season.[22]
While Crosby remained out for the majority of the 2011–12 season due to lingering health issues, Dupuis established career-highs in goals with 25, assists with 34, and points with 58 through 82 games.[16] Dupuis started the season with Malkin and Kunitz before returning to Crosby's wing during his brief return in November. When Crosby was deemed unfit to play again, Dupuis skated on a line with Jordan Staal and Steve Sullivan.[24] The trio were so effective that they remained together on the Penguins second line even when Crosby returned in March.[25] The second line combined for 15 goals during the Penguins 11-game winning streak that eventually helped them clinch a spot in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs.[24] He finished the regular season on a 17-game point streak that ranked as the third-longest in franchise history and the longest active streak in the NHL's 2011–12 season.[26] Beyond setting new career highs in goals, assists and points, Dupuis also set career highs in game winning goals with eight and 214 shots on goal.[26] Dupuis was also among only five Penguins players who scored at least 20 goals during the season.[27] He continued his streak to 19 games by adding two more points in Stanley Cup playoffs before the Penguins were eliminated by the rival Philadelphia Flyers.[28]
While the 2012–13 season was delayed due to the NHL lockout, Dupuis remained in Pittsburgh and trained with various teammates four times a week.[29] When the NHL eventually resumed play, Dupuis was reunited with Crosby and Kunitz.[30] He began the season strong, tallying his first power-play goal since November 20, 2006, while averaging 15:12 minutes per game.[28] Dupuis recorded 10 goals during the Penguin's March winning streak which ended at 15 games on April 2 against the Buffalo Sabres.[31][32] He became the first NHL skater to recorded a positive plus-minus rating through a teams 14-game win streak since defenseman Brad McCrimmon in 1984.[32] Dupuis finished the lockout-shortened season with 20 goals and 38 points through 48 games.[16] As an impending free agent on July 2, 2013, Dupuis opted to remain in Pittsburgh and signed a four-year, $15 million contract extension.[33]
Injuries and retirement
The 2012–13 season would prove to be his last healthy season with the Penguins as Dupuis began to experience health concerns over the next few seasons leading to his retirement.[34] While Dupuis started the 2013–14 season healthy, he suffered a season-ending knee injury on December 23, 2013, during a game against the Ottawa Senators. After Crosby was hip-checked by Senators defenceman Marc Methot, Crosby then collided with Dupuis. At the time of the injury, Dupuis had amassed 7 goals and 13 assists over 39 games.[35] Dupuis later theorized that his issues with blood clots started with this injury, saying, "The clot probably started in my calf when my leg was immobilized on the flight back from Ottawa [after my knee injury Dec. 23, 2013]. My lung wasn’t getting blood supply and was slowly dying."[34] Seven weeks later, Dupuis underwent successful surgery to repair his torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.[36] While recovering from the surgery, blood clots were found in his leg and he was placed on blood thinners for six months.[37]
Dupuis during the Penguins Stanley Cup parade in 2016.
After recovering from the surgery, Dupuis returned to the Penguins lineup for the 2014–15 season. He made his season debut on October 9 with a four-point effort against the Anaheim Ducks but began suffering health-related issues once again as the season progressed.[34] On October 16, during the second period of a game against the Dallas Stars, Dupuis was crosschecked to the ice by an opponent and while prone was struck by the puck near the back of his neck on a shot by teammate Kris Letang. He was eventually stretchered off the ice.[38] While Dupuis would return to action days later, he began experienced chest pains in November.[34] Eventually, Dupuis was diagnosed with a blood clot in the lung on November 19 and was expected to miss the remainder of the season to rest and recover. He was also placed on blood thinners for the second time. At the time of this announcement, Dupuis had amassed 6 goals and 11 points through 16 games this season.[37]
Dupuis returned to play in the 2015–16 season, but suffered a lower back injury in October and was expected to miss four-to-five weeks to recover.[39] He eventually made his regular debut on October 22 against the Dallas Stars.[40] On December 8, 2015, having twice left games in progress due to ill health, he announced that he was unable to play hockey any longer. He was placed on long-term injured reserve but remained under contract with the Penguins.[41] On February 17, 2016, Dupis received the inaugural Dapper Dan Courage Award as a "Pittsburgh-area athlete who best exemplifies the meaning of perseverance by overcoming adversity while serving as an inspiration to their teammates or organization."[42] Although he retired in December, Dupuis was able to lift the Stanley Cup when the Pittsburgh Penguins won their fourth Stanley Cup in the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals.[43]
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