By: Tim Durr
He was an afterthought in the 2008 blockbuster deal when the Pittsburgh Penguins sent fan favorites Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen, along with touted prospect Angelo Esposito, and a first round pick to Atlanta for Marian Hossa.
He was the other piece of the trade, Pascal Dupuis. That's how it read in most articles. The Penguins trade all these guys for Hossa, oh and they got this Dupuis guy, too.
That treatment fit how Dupuis handled himself in the next seven seasons with the Penguins. Never garnering headlines, always doing the dirty work, and coming out of nowhere to shine next to Sidney Crosby.
If someone said a winger from that trade will play with Crosby for seven years, fans would have rejoiced that Hossa signed long-term. They didn't know it then, but what ended up happening was exactly what should have.
Hossa quickly moved on at the end of the season for more money and Dupuis raised his hand and said, "I'm still here".
A little less than three months from the seven-year anniversary of that trade and Dupuis once again spoke up.
This time he announced that he'd no longer be here, at least not on the ice. After battling with blood clots for much of the last two seasons and missing long-stretches of games, Dupuis decided to end his hockey career.
As a fan of hockey and a Pittsburgh-native, it's been fun watching you play Duper. Take care of your health and enjoy life after the NHL.
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