![\"Credit](\"http:\/\/www.btsh.org\/bruise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Hopper-HOF-a.jpg\")
<\/a>Credit Jerome.<\/p><\/div>
<\/a>Again\u00a0credit Jerome<\/p><\/div>\n
—Written by Stephanie C—
Dan Hopper grew up skating on the frozen pond behind his suburban Pennsylvania home. From the time he put on his first Penguins jersey, he dreamed of wearing the Captain\u2019s \u201cC\u201d like his idol, Mario Lemieux. Looking back on his solid BTSH career and with his unsurprising induction into the HOF, I think we can all agree that Hopper\u2019s hockey dreams have far exceeded his childhood aspirations.<\/p>\n
If you know Hopper as your team\u2019s veteran captain (Go Sky Fighters!), you\u2019re lucky! You\u2019re familiar with his inspiring half-time pep talks that go something like \u201cHey guys, I know we\u2019re up 4-1, but that really wasn\u2019t our best half.\u201d You may also have been a member of the (largely Czech) team that witnessed Hopper score the winning shootout goal in 2009 that led the team to the semis and eventually the championship!<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=C2-lBLez9h4<\/a><\/p>\n (As a sidenote, the Sky Fighters are no longer a Czech team. We have one Czech player. No, the Teytelbaum brothers are Latvian. We do, however, have 5 Canadians on the team, so feel free to refer to us as the \u201cCanadian\u201d team going forward).<\/p>\n If you know Hopper as an opponent, you know he\u2019s a Bobby Orr-style two-way defenseman and will burn you with his Mighty Ducks-inspired (one\u2026 two\u2026 three\u2026) triple deke.<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IKxcDwLNN8k<\/a><\/p>\n If you know Hopper as a ref, you have found he\u2019s decisive, yet fair, and unafraid to call you out for breaking BTSH\u2019s cardinal rule #1.<\/p>\n If you know Hopper as a bar patron, you know he\u2019s always up for a High Life, to consider the Penguins\u2019 prospects for the NHL season and to reminisce about that random game five years ago where Martin scored a hat trick and the Sky Fighters came from behind to win in overtime.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you don\u2019t know Hopper, you\u2019ve lost your chance. Sadly, he\u2019s about to abandon us all for the \u201cmediterranean climate<\/a>, sprawling metropolis, and major center of the American entertainment industry\u201d (Wikipedia) also known as LA. I don\u2019t know about you, but I hear it\u2019s overrated.<\/p>\n Hopper is truly a pillar of the BTSH community and fully encapsulates the spirit of the league. While he can get frustrated during games, especially when he feels he\u2019s not playing his best, he has earned league-wide respect and everyone can agree he\u2019s a stellar individual. I can\u2019t think of anyone more deserving of HOF status.<\/p>\n