....”What More Can Be Said?” A personal Thank You from a fan to Pascal Dupuis

By: Medina Chebatoris (@Medina_MarieC)

Let me start out by saying this is NOT your typical article. While it is about a specific player, it does not reflect anything pertaining to a game, a trade, or anything you would usually find in one of the typical blog entries.

This is much different. This is a lot more personal.

I am 29 years old. I lived through the boy band craze of the 90s, the Spice Girls Revolution and I have spent more time watching and playing sports than I have spent time on a pageant stage (and if you know me, that is saying something). I have witnessed the glory of a Cup win, and the brutal agony of not having a chance to even make the playoffs. I have seen many a player (of various teams and sports) come and go but I had never thought one such player could have such a profound impact on my life.

He is more than a hockey player; he is the kind of man you would want your son to grow up to be. He is Pascal Dupuis. Penguins Fan Nation has had a love for this man since the day he arrived, yours truly included. His story, however, is what makes him relatable.

Look up the word “determined” in the dictionary and I am pretty sure a picture of Mr. #9 will be right next to it. As we all know, Dupers (as we have all come to know him by) was undrafted, and made a name for himself by working harder than anyone to try and get a spot on any NHL team. After starting at the bottom, making his way back and forth over to Europe to play internationally, along with no small amount of grit and sweat, he found himself on not one but three NHL teams (2 of them within 18 days of each other) before eventually ending up right where he is now, in Pittsburgh.

Pascal Dupuis is a Super-Human icon in the Pittsburgh sports scene. The man played with 1/3rd of his lungs completely dead; if that isn’t Super Human I don’t know what is. He battled through multiple injuries as many a professional athlete do, and the sight of him pulling out his own tooth on the bench will forever be engrained in the minds of fans. While he was never the “star” he could always be counted on to back his line mates up when needed, and could electrify the entire team with his goal celebrations. If there was a prank, you can bet he was involved. If the team needed a pick-me-up, you can bet it came from him. The sheer joy and excitement he brought in that locker room will never be replaceable.

Having been in the position to give up doing something I loved (dance/softball), I can sympathize on how hard it must have been for him to make the decision to retire. I wasn’t making millions or winning a Stanley Cup, but walking away from something you have done for so long, something that was your livelihood, brings great change in your everyday life. However, he made the only decision he could have. Family always comes first. When you have a supportive spouse and 4 beautiful children to care for, the decision is black and white.

Not only is he dedicated, he is thankful and honored to have the success he worked so hard for. You need only refer to his reaction to the farewell video and standing ovation he received on Dec 14th during a game against the Washington Capitals. You can tell how much hockey means/meant to him. I say this to many people:

“Pascal is the kind of man that, after a while, would have played for free if it meant he could play forever”, and by all accounts, he probably would have if his body would have allowed it.

I cannot speak more highly of him as a player or as a genuinely good person if I tried. How could you not? The love he has for his team, for the game, the fans and for his family is at levels I have never seen in my life. The amount of respect he has gained in the entire NHL is immeasurable. While his playing days may be gone, fans will never let “Super Duper” fade into irrelevancy and the hope is one day, to see his sweater hanging from the rafters in Consol Energy Center right next to Mario’s.

Pascal’s career and legacy reminds me every day of what can be accomplished if you have the will to try. If you have the courage to face whatever comes your way to make a dream come true, anything is possible. What better message to portray to a generation of older teens and twenty-something’s who can’t seem to find their place or get ahead in a world they were told was theirs for the taking. Seeing his limitless amount of sheer guts and nerve is what drove me to choose a new career path this late into my twenties. His unyielding spirit is what reminds me to keep going when there are days where I want to give up. If he can do it all, then so can I. And he did, indeed, do it all.

I am thankful that I got to see Pascal Dupuis skate one final time before announcing his retirement and I am thankful that he is and will forever remain, a Penguin. Thank you! Merci Beaucoup Monsieur! For everything you gave, for everything you are, and for everything you will continue to be to myself and all fans, thank you!

#Duper #Medina