Capitals' Orpik enjoyed hockey more this season than in past '4 or 5 years'
His new club may have suffered the same fate as his Pittsburgh Penguins of last year, but Brooks Orpik says this season was much more enjoyable.
The Washington Capitals lost a Game 7 overtime heartbreaker to the New York Rangers in the second round of the playoffs, but Orpik had a positive evaluation to offer in his exit interview with head coach Barry Trotz and general manager Brian MacLellan.
"There, he told his bosses that he hadn't enjoyed hockey to this degree in four or five years, and much of that he owed to the attitude of the group he joined," writes the Washington Post's Alex Prewitt.
"I think this team's been criticized for having a lot of individual talents and individual egos," Orpik said. "Right from day one I didn't see any existence of that. That's what made it a lot of fun to be part of this group. Guys really genuinely cared about each other and stuck up for each other."
The defenseman spent his previous 10 seasons with the Penguins before joining the Capitals during the offseason.
He'll get to remain with this fun group, as he's under contract with the Capitals for the next four seasons.