Before the start of last year, I remember talking to Mike Rupp and there was almost some wonder in his voice when he said, “I don’t know what your body feels like after two straight Cup runs.”
He went on to emphasize that playing so much hockey really shouldn’t be overlooked. It was no joke to play even once deep into the summer like he did in 2003 when he scored a Stanley Cup Final Game 7 game winning goal (not a big deal). So doubling that up with two years in a row, Rupp figured, would be quite a challenge for the Penguins.