Maven's Memories: A Chat with Darius Kasparaitis

I'll never forget the first time I met Darius Kasparaitis after he had retired from National Hockey League play.
It was a warm July day and I had just pedaled by my 21-speed GT Avalanche mountain bike through Central Park, winding up at Columbus Circle.
After momentarily dismounting, I heard a "Hey, Maven!" from a crowd of bikers. I looked up and there with a big grin -- what else? -- was Darius, himself, also on a bike.

We schmoozed a bit and then he had to take off, pedaling east toward Fifth Avenue. As he faded past the strollers and other bikers, a thought came to mind.
Talking to myself, I blurted, "Man, do I ever miss this guy!"

I still do but, happily, the defenseman we nicknamed "Casper, The Friendly Ghost," still is around and drops over to UBS Arena every so often. Everyone who meets the best hip-checker I ever saw, comes away happier. That's one of many reasons why everyone loves this Islanders icon.
My dialogue with one of my all-time favorite hockey players went this way.
Stan: What happens when you return to Long Island and come to an Islanders game?
Darius: "I'm in shock. I can't believe the reaction of the fans and I guess it's a good 30 years since I played for the Islanders and yet the fans remember. Some will come up to chat or get my autograph. But what really surprises me is when I see fans still wearing my jersey. It's been so long since I played and yet the rooters not only remember, but the affection can be overwhelming."
Stan: What do the fans like to talk about in retrospect to your playing days?
Darius: "Almost always, the subject that comes up is what was my style of hitting when I was a player. When Bill Torrey signed me, I had no idea how much bodychecking was done in the NHL. I was a bit surprised that nobody checked the way I did although I was told that when the NHL had its 'Original Six' teams, man-to-man open-ice hitting was very popular. That was before I arrived, so the fans always mention my hitting. They tell me, 'Darius, no one is going to replace your style of hockey.'"
Stan: Where are you living now and what are you doing?
Darius: "I live in Miami, Florida and work for a real estate developers office. I'm married to my beautiful wife, Lisa Carol, who I met in New York when she was playing basketball for Fordham University. We have six kids; three girls and three boys."

Stan: How and when did you learn to hip check so well?
Darius:"It goes all the way back to my childhood. I guess that the first time I ever tried to do the hip check was when I was nine years old. I loved it right then and there and kept improving at it as I continued to play hockey and right up to the NHL. To be honest, I took a lot of pride in that particular hockey talent. What made it even more fun for me was that the fans always seemed to love it. I know Al Arbour did because when he was a player, hip-checking happened more often."
Stan: Which season would you call your favorite as an Islander and what made it so special for you?
Darius: "I have to say that it was my rookie year, the 1992-93 season. To begin with, just being a rookie in the National Hockey League was special enough. But here I was, not a kid from Canada or America, but from Lithuania. I had a whole bunch of new guys to get to know including the one who'd be my defense partner, Vlad Malakhov. Just making the team was exciting enough; learning about the rivalries and then hoping that we could make the playoffs was a great motivation."
Stan: Do you remember being an underdog at the start of the 1993 playoffs?
Darius: "That may have been the case but you have to remember that we had some awfully good players. Glenn Healy was reaching his peak in goal; plus we had a pretty good defense with guys like Scott Lachance and Uwe Krupp. Pierre Turgeon was one of the best forwards in the league. We also had good role players like Tommy Fitzgerald and Claude Loiselle. Pat Flatley was our captain and a real hard worker. Some of the skill guys were Ray Ferraro and Travis Green. In the first round, we played Washington and nobody expected us to do as well as we did. Being underdogs suited us just fine because we had hard workers and a fine coach in Al Arbour."

Stan: How bitter and sweet was that first series with Washington?
Darius: "The 'bitter' part was what Dale Hunter did to Pierre Turgeon. We had Washington beaten -- for all intents and purposes -- and Pierre had scored a late goal. Hunter suckered Turgeon from behind and seriously injured him. The 'sweet' part was that we won the game and that meant that we'd move on to the second playoff round.
But I can tell you there was little celebrating in our room after the win.
We were angry over what Hunter had done to Pierre, who was one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. We didn't want to lose him. But we had to look ahead. Now we had a chance to upset Pittsburgh who already had won two straight Stanley Cups."
Stan: By that time, you had gained a reputation as a defender who antagonized some of the biggest names in the game.
Darius: "I enjoyed taking on stars like Mario Lemieux, Eric Lindros and Mark Messier. This was part of my style and it worked. In the sixth game against Pittsburgh, I got Mario off his game and it helped move us into the seventh game in Pittsburgh. I hit guys clean and hard and it bothered them and that's how I earned my reputation."
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Stan: What was so special about the 1993 team that beat Pittsburgh in the playoffs; one of the biggest upsets in hockey history?
Darius: "In simple terms; it was the players. We had a team full of characters with character. We surprised the Penguins in many ways starting with Glenn's (Healy) goaltending. Shorthanded goals by Fitz (Tom Fitzgerald) threw them off their game. And the fans in The Coliseum gave us even more incentive to win. Al (Arbour) did a great job of coaching. We also were resilient. After Pittsburgh tied Game Seven late in the third period, we didn't falter. We came out in overtime; got the saves from Heals and finally Ray (Ferraro) sent that pass to David (Volek) and we went nuts with the winner."
Stan: What three games do you most remember?
Darius: "Of course, my very first NHL game; against the Devils. Then, there was one against the Kings. That was memorable because You interviewed me about my bodychecking Wayne Gretzky. I had gotten him with a good hip check, took the puck and scored! And, best of all that Game Seven when we beat Mario and his Penguins!"