Penguins' Pascal Dupuis ruled out for season with blood clots
The Pittsburgh Penguins ruled out a return for left wing Pascal Dupuis this season due to blood clots, the team announced in a video on Monday.
Dupuis, 36 next month, was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung last November and was sidelined for at least six months. He was previously treated for a blood clot in January 2014 while recovering from a torn ACL.
"Pascal Dupuis won't play for us this season," Penguins coach Mike Johnston said in the video. "There's a certain timeline where he cannot have contact."
Johnston said Dupuis will remain around the team in somewhat of a player/coach role.
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"I talked to him originally and I said, 'Take a week and just think about what you'd really like to do and what you have time to do. He first indicated that he wanted to be involved for sure. He's going to watch our team during games and he's going to focus on the offensive side of the game."
General manager Jim Rutherford said Dupuis will not be cleared to play until June.
"I do feel very confident he'll return to the team next year," Rutherford said.
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Dupuis appeared in 16 games this season, scoring six goals and five assists in an average ice time of 16:39.
A 13-year NHL veteran, Dupuis has been with the Penguins since February 2008, when the Atlanta Thrashers traded him to Pittsburgh.
Over 853 career games, Dupuis has scored 188 goals and recorded 217 assists.
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"I don't like that coach title," Dupuis said. "The guys are trying to remind me that I'm like 'slash' right now, I'm like a 'coach slash player.' ... Right now, I consider myself a player that is trying to help his teammates and his team to win a championship. So if that means me being up there and looking at different aspects that we can improve on the game, I'll try to help. But my main goal is to come back and put my skates back on."
- Mike Fiammetta