Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrew Ebbett didn’t dress for the team’s 4-1 win at the Staples Center against the Los Angeles Kings on January 30, 2014. He did, however, enjoy a meeting that night with an old friend, former teammate, and veteran San Diego Police Officer Bryce Charpentier.
It had been 12 years since the 6’5″, 220-pound Charpentier served as an on-ice bodyguard for the undersized Ebbett on the expansion Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the British Columbia Hockey League. Since joining the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) after ending his hockey career, Charpentier remained in regular contact with Ebbett. He even occasionally made the drive north to watch his friend play after Ebbett signed as an undrafted free agent with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.
