Penguins Oleksy a Hit

With his steel grey eyes and angular jaw, Steve Oleksy bears more than a passing resemblance to former Penguins hit man Ulf Samuelsson. Plays a lot like him, too.

Indeed, since replacing injured defenseman Trevor Daley on December 17, Oleksy’s added some much-needed spice to the Pens’ backline. Through his first five regular-season games wearing the black and gold, No. 61’s dished out 10 registered hits, along with numerous jabs, hacks and whacks.

No stranger to dust-ups, the sturdy 6’0” 190-pounder dropped the gloves in consecutive games against Columbus and New Jersey. In particular, his rousing, toe-to-toe slugfest with the Devils’ Miles Wood helped spark a 4-1 Pens triumph on December 23 and earned an admiring fist bump from teammate Scott Wilson. Not to mention a cut on the bridge of the nose to serve as a hard-earned badge of honor a la one-time power forward and current Pens assistant Rick Tocchet.

While physical play clearly is Oleksy’s bread and butter, he’s been highly effective in other aspects of the game, as his sterling Corsi For % of 58.3 at even strength suggests.

During last night’s 5-2 victory over the Devils at the Prudential Center, the 30-year-old defenseman contributed 16 minutes of solid, stay-at-home defense. Including 5:34 on the penalty kill—second-most on the team. His presence had a steadying effect on youthful partner Derrick Pouliot, who played a relatively error-free game after struggling in recent outings.

Needless to say, Olesky’s made a strong impression on Mike Sullivan, a kindred spirit who carved out an 11-year NHL career on guts and guile.

“He’s an inspiring guy…” said the Pens’ coach in admiration. “He plays the game so hard. He wears his emotions right on his sleeve. He sticks up for his teammates. Steve-O is just a great teammate, and that’s one of the reasons why he’s here. He’s a great character guy. He’s all-in with this organization and this team.”

A mindset born through adversity. The longest of longshots to make it to the NHL, Oleksy literally hauled himself up hockey’s ladder one rung at a time. Following a nondescript three-year collegiate career at Lake Superior State University, the Michigan native turned pro in 2008-09 with the Las Vegas Ramblers of the East Coast Hockey League. After logging his share of hard miles at hockey’s lowest level, he graduated from the ECHL to the AHL in 2011-12.

The very next season Oleksy made his National Hockey League debut with Washington. Over a three-year span he played in 62 games with the Capitals and tallied a respectable 19 points, to go with 86 penalty minutes and a plus-15. However, by 2014-15 he was back in the AHL full-time, serving as captain for the Hershey Bears.

Seeking a fresh start, Oleksy signed with the Penguins during the summer of 2015. Skating in 63 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the determined defender with the chiseled physique and granite chin piled up 19 points and a team-high 123 penalty minutes.

A frequent call-up during the stretch run and postseason, he hoisted the Stanley Cup in classic “black aces” fashion, even though he didn’t dress for a single game. It was Oleksy who handed the Cup to Sullivan during the club’s on-ice celebration.

Somehow appropriate, given the similarities between coach and player.

Whether Steve’s feel-good story continues once injured regulars Daley and Kris Letang return remains to be seen. No doubt Oleksy understands his role.

One thing is certain. Whether he suits up every game or sees spot duty, he’ll sacrifice his all for the good of the team.

Dumoulin Hurt

The Penguins have lost another key member of the defensive corps.

Brian Dumoulin, a vital cog in the team’s march to the Cup last spring, suffered a broken jaw in the late stages of last night’s win over New Jersey, GM Jim Rutherford announced today. The rangy defenseman was struck by a rising shot as he pursued a Devils forward through the slot with 6:30 left in the game.

He’s expected to miss four-to-six weeks.