Pascal Dupuis was relentless this past offseason in his pursuit to return to the NHL after a pulmonary embolism abruptly shelved his career in November 2014.
For nearly 10 weeks he managed, jumping through every medical hoop to lace up his skates for another shift, another game, another crack at his dream of winning a second Stanley Cup.
But the health scares were adding up, and eventually one came with chest pains.
So, Dec. 8, in Colorado, he announced the time had come to let go.
For the great resolve he showed, Dupuis has been awarded the inaugural Dapper Dan Courage Award, presented to a Pittsburgh area athlete who best exemplifies the meaning of perseverance by overcoming adversity while serving as an inspiration to their teammates or organization.