College Orpik played three seasons at
Boston College for the
Eagles ice hockey team, winning the
Hockey East playoff championship in 1999 and 2001, as well as the
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship in 2001. His younger brother Andrew was also a hockey player, playing for Boston College and having a brief minor league career.
Professional Pittsburgh Penguins (2001–2014) Orpik was drafted in the first round, 18th overall, of the
2000 NHL entry draft by the
Pittsburgh Penguins. He began his professional career with the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the
American Hockey League (AHL) during the
2001–02 season. He made his NHL debut during the
2002–03 season, playing in six games and recording no points. After earning a permanent roster spot on the team the next year, Orpik played in 79 games, registering one goal, nine assists and 127
penalty minutes. . On March 4, 2006, Orpik boarded
Carolina Hurricanes forward
Erik Cole, fracturing a vertebra in Cole's neck. Orpik was suspended three games for the illegal hit. Cole did not return until game 6 of the
2006 Stanley Cup Final. In the summer of 2008, Orpik signed a new six-year, $22.5 million contract with the Penguins. In October 2008, he was named an alternate captain (interim while
Sergei Gonchar was injured) of the Penguins, along with
Evgeni Malkin, behind captain
Sidney Crosby. On June 12, 2009, Orpik and the Penguins became
Stanley Cup champions by defeating the
Detroit Red Wings in game 7 of the
2009 Stanley Cup Final. He was the first native of California to win the
Stanley Cup. On December 17, 2011, Orpik recorded his 100th career point by earning an assist on Evgeni Malkin's goal on
Ryan Miller at
Consol Energy Center in
Pittsburgh. On May 11, 2013, Orpik scored the game-winning goal in overtime of game 6 to eliminate the
New York Islanders and advance Pittsburgh to the second round of the
2013 Stanley Cup playoffs; it was his first career
Stanley Cup playoff goal. On December 7, 2013, Orpik hit
Boston Bruins forward
Loui Eriksson, resulting in a concussion to the latter. While Orpik lay on the ice due to a confrontation with a Bruins player,
Shawn Thornton delivered a punch that concussed Orpik; Thornton was suspended 15 games for the incident.
Washington Capitals (2014–2019) in the
2015 NHL Winter Classic On July 1, 2014, the
Washington Capitals signed Orpik to a five-year, $27.5 million contract as an unrestricted free agent. In game 2 of Washington's
2016 playoff series against the
Pittsburgh Penguins, Orpik delivered an illegal and late hit to Pittsburgh defenseman
Olli Määttä, making contact with Määttä's head. Orpik was suspended three games for the late hit and Määttä returned a few games later to finish, and help win, the series. and
Ted Leonsis in June 2018 during the Capitals 2018 Stanley Cup championship parade On April 23, 2018, during his fourth season with the Capitals, in
2017–18, Orpik was Washington's nomination for the
King Clancy Memorial Trophy as a player who best exemplifies leadership qualities and gives back to his community. In the
2018 playoffs, on May 30, 2018, Orpik scored the game-winning goal in game 2 of the
2018 Stanley Cup Final against the
Vegas Golden Knights. It was also the first time Orpik had scored a goal since February 20, 2016. On June 7, 2018, Orpik and the Capitals went on to win the Stanley Cup against the Golden Knights in five games. This was the first Stanley Cup for the Capitals and the second finals victory for Orpik. On June 22, 2018, less than three weeks after Orpik won the Stanley Cup for the second time, and due to salary cap considerations, Orpik was traded by the Capitals to the
Colorado Avalanche (alongside goaltender
Philipp Grubauer) in exchange for Colorado's second-round pick in the
2018 NHL entry draft. He was immediately informed by Avalanche general manager
Joe Sakic that he would be moved to a preferred destination or bought out from the remaining year of the five-year contract he had initially signed with Washington. He was placed on unconditional waivers the following day and on June 24, he was released to free agency. On July 24, he signed a one-year, $1 million contract to return to Washington. Orpik scored the overtime game-winning goal in game 2 of Washington's opening round
2019 playoff series against the
Carolina Hurricanes, giving the Capitals a 2–0 series lead. This would be Orpik's last NHL goal. Despite this, the Capitals attempt at a Cup repeat would fall short as the Hurricanes went onto eliminate the Capitals in seven games. On June 25, 2019, Orpik announced his retirement from professional hockey. Soon after retiring, the Capitals hired Orpik as a Player Development coach. ==International play==