PITTSBURGH – His playoff beard thick, Pascal Dupuis comes to the rink every day as if he's going suit up in the Stanley Cup Final.
"I still have my change stall with the players, I still put my underwear on before they go on the ice, I still work out with the team. I'm still around the guys," Dupuis said.
But, he added, "The title next to my name is player, but I don't feel like it now."
That's because the Pittsburgh Penguins veteran had his career stolen from him prematurely because of a medical condition related to blood clots. He retired in December after a couple of eye-opening scares in San Jose and Edmonton.
Talking before the Final with his one of his four children — 10-year-old son Kody — sitting cutely behind him swinging his legs and absorbing a busy media day, Dupuis talked about his transition from player to, well, whatever he is now.
"It's more nerve-racking than anything not having any control of anything that's going on," said Dupuis, 37. "I do care about all the guys in the locker room, and I want then to win and I want to win, too, so whatever I can do to help, that's pretty much my role right now."
For example, between periods of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against Tampa Bay, Dupuis became an equipment trainer and hurriedly switched out the butt-end of Eric Fehr's stick. He'll help the coaches with video, travel on road trips and keep his old mates loose with his typical quick wit and humor.
"I'm hanging out with the players. It's not like I'm going to dinner with the coaches," Dupuis cracked. "I haven't stepped over that fence yet. I'm still in my head a player."