Legendary NHL defenceman, Darius Kasparaitis, had an incredible hockey career, playing a tough, tenacious, and hard hitting style. His signature though was his ability to execute perfect hip checks that would send opponents sky rocketing. Kasparaitis developed under the discipline and vigorousness of the Soviet Hockey system, and represented the Soviet Union and Russia at the World Juniors, World Championships, and four times at the Olympics where he earned Olympic Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals. His pro career spanned 14 seasons in the NHL, parts of two seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL), and several more in the KHL. Ultimately, Kasparaitis left a legacy in the game as one of the all-time great hitters and makes no bones about it.

Kasparaitis was born in Elektrenai, Lithuania and took a liking to sports early. “The reason I started to play hockey is that the game looked so cool,” recounted Kasparaitis.  “I always wanted to see how it felt to skate and shoot pucks in the net. In the early stages of my life playing hockey was very accessible. We didn’t pay for anything because the program in the Soviet Union was set up so that children could join any class or sports program for free.”

At the age of 14, Kasparaitis left Lithuania to play in Russia for Dinamo Moscow after a chance meeting with one of the greatest Russian defencemen from the Soviet system, Valeri Vasiliev. “I was playing against Moscow in Lithuania at that time for my local team. Vasiliev asked me if I wanted to go to Moscow. I said ‘of course I want to go!’  So I joined Dinamo Moscow and played in their junior system for two years. At 16, I played for the main Moscow team in the Soviet Elite League. It was basically like playing in NHL.”

Kasparaitis remembers his first game at the professional Soviet Elite League level. “Our team was playing against the Red Army team who still had all the super star players like Sergei Makarov and Igor Larionov.  I was very nervous to play against that team. I was sitting on the bench and watching those guys play. Then I got a couple of shifts and it was a great experience. The most excitement I had though was reading a newspaper the next day and seeing my name there. I was still going to high school, so imagine how cool it was to get into a newspaper for your achievements.”

1992 was a particularly important year in Kasparaitis’ career. He was part of the Dinamo Moscow team that won the Soviet League Championship. Around that same time the Soviet Union fell apart and many of the great players left to play in the NHL.

He was also part of the Gold Medal winning World Junior Championship team and in the same year Olympic team that also won Gold. What’s more, that summer Kasparaitis was selected 5^th overall in the NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders.

“I was lucky to get drafted by the New York Islanders. My rookie year in the NHL was one of the best years I had in NHL over my 14-year career. It was easy for me to hit people. That is why I became a hitter. I also consider myself a good skater, so I would catch guys with their heads down. It was a surprisingly good transformation for me.”

Kasparaitis recounts his first experiences in North America beyond hockey, adjusting to life after coming from the Soviet Union. “I had a culture shock. I was making good money and I had the freedom to do anything I wanted. You don’t have to stay at a certain place or go to bed at a certain time. It was tough in the beginning though. I was 19 when I came to the US. I couldn’t go to clubs and bars because I was underage.”

He went on to play five seasons with Islanders including a 1993 Stanley Cup playoff series against the power house Pittsburgh Penguins who had won two cups in a row and were favourites to win a third.

“No one predicted our team would win one game against the Penguins.” The entire series, Kasparaitis was famously wreaking havoc on Penguins Captain Mario Lemieux. It was in game six of the series when he landed a seismic hit on Lemieux that would tilt the series the Islanders way. “To everyone’s dismay we won the hard fought series in seven games.”

It was that intense playoff series that would set the foundation for being acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins. In fact it was Mario Lemieux who had helped influence the team’s decision to trade for Kasparaitis. He played there from 1996 to 2002.  

In the latter half of the 2001-02 season, he was acquired by the Colorado Avalanche for their playoff push. “It was such a short visit, so it was hard to really feel it. It was a great time; it was my greatest chance of winning the Stanley Cup. We only had to win one game out of two. Unfortunately, we lost both of them. But it was good to be a part of that team. It was a totally different experience in terms of East Coast versus West Coast hockey. East Coast lifestyle is busier and much faster but during the game East Coast is more defence-oriented. West Coast hockey is more in your face hockey.”

The remainder of Kasparaitis’ NHL career was spent with the New York Rangers. “I remember choosing to play for them as a free agent and signing the contract. It felt like a dream come true. Becoming part of that historic team was an amazing experience.”

In fact, it was Kasparaitis that introduced the Rangers to what is now the tradition of players raising their sticks to the fans in salute. “It was after a lock-out year. We had a shoot-out against the Washington Capitals. Everyone participated in it except for me. We ended up winning the marathon shoot out. I asked to gather all the teammates in the middle of the ice and say ‘thank you’ to the fans by raising their sticks. This is what we do in Europe and Russia. Essentially, you just thank the fans for coming to the game. After that, it became a tradition. It is the act of appreciation for the audience because they pay the biggest price. They go through all those emotions of the game and season.”

During the 2006-07 season and briefly in 2007-08, Kasparaitus spent time with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, lending his experience to Rangers prospects.  “The AHL is a great league for young players.  As a veteran you can always show the young kids what it takes to be in the big league and how to be a professional. I always tried to share my experiences with the younger players and lead by example by showing them my work ethic on and off the ice”.

From 2007-2009, Kasparaitis finished his playing career in the KHL for SKA, Saint Petersburg. “Going back to Russia, I didn’t expect a lot. I thought that I probably had a couple of years left in me. All I did was have fun. It was one of the best times I had as a player. I already had a name that people recognized and appreciated. There were lots of people waiting for me in the airport. All my memories of that time are very bright and happy. I still follow my team and watch them play when I can.”

Kasparaitis is now President of a developing company in Florida.  “I have been doing this for almost a year. Right now we are trying to build residential apartment buildings.”

He is also grateful to the game of hockey and what the game has given and taught him. “Hockey taught me discipline, how to be a competitive person, and to do well in everything you do. It also made me a good team player.  Even now in business you work within a team environment.”

As a master of hitting and especially hip checking, Kasparaitis lends some insight into landing the perfect hit. “It is the ability to skate backwards. You adjust yourself to his speed, lower your hip, and maybe make a quick move backwards towards his body. You have the timing. For bigger guys, it’s about getting very low to execute the hit. When I did it, I was going down to the point where my body was almost touching the ice. Players expect that you hit them high with a shoulder. That is why I think it is very effective to catch them off guard with a solid hip check. What’s more, if you hit a guy who is the superstar on the opposing team, their players don’t like it, so they go after you. That is how you get under the opposition’s skin. When I played, I always felt the pressure to make hits during the game. People expected me to hit. So every game I played, I was told to land a couple of hits to get my team going. It’s just like hunting. You are looking for people and then you find your moment where you make the hit. It takes talent, practise, and repetition.”

Kasparaitis has enjoyed an amazing hockey career. However, what makes him truly great and an inspirational individual is that he is also very kind hearted, a tremendous and loving father and remembers his roots and gives back. “I skate in Lithuania with the kids. I also go to Russia and train with Russian kids. I have five children and hope they have some kind of success that I had. But, I want to raise them as good people and teach them what is right and what is wrong in life. Sometimes, all the money and success does not bring happiness. Happiness is to have peace with yourself. And I found mine.”