Darius Kasparaitis

2.1. Childhood and Junior Hockey

Darius Kasparaitis was born on October 16, 1972. At the age of 14, he left the Lithuanian SSR for the Russian SFSR to train and develop his ice hockey skills at a higher level, having previously trained with Aleksey Nikiforov. His first international experience came at the 1990 IIHF European U18 Championship where, as a member of the Soviet Union U-18 team, he contributed six points (one goal, five assists) to help his team win the gold medal. The following year, he competed in the 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships as part of the Soviet Union U-20 team, where he recorded seven points (one goal, six assists) as the Soviet junior team secured another gold medal.

2.2. Soviet League Debut

At 16 years old, during the 1988-89 season, Kasparaitis made his professional debut with HC Dynamo Moscow, one of the premier teams in the Soviet Union's ice hockey league. He continued to play for Dynamo Moscow and was part of the team that won the Soviet League championship in 1992. In August 1991, he also joined the Soviet Union senior team for two exhibition games against Sweden.

3.1. New York Islanders

Kasparaitis was selected by the New York Islanders with the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. From his rookie season in 1992-93, he quickly established a reputation for his aggressive, physical playing style. He frequently led his teams in hits, demonstrating his immediate impact in the league.

3.2. Pittsburgh Penguins

On November 17, 1996, Kasparaitis was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. During his tenure with the Penguins, he was involved in several notable incidents, including a controversial hard hit on Eric Lindros, then captain of the Philadelphia Flyers, in 1998. This hit, delivered along the boards to Lindros's chest, resulted in a concussion that kept Lindros out of action for 18 games. Despite this intense on-ice rivalry, Kasparaitis and Lindros later became teammates and friends when Kasparaitis joined the New York Rangers, with Lindros reportedly helping to convince him to sign with the Rangers.

3.3. Colorado Avalanche

Kasparaitis's time with the Pittsburgh Penguins concluded when he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on March 19, 2002, at the trade deadline. He played the remainder of the 2001-02 NHL season with the Avalanche.

3.4. New York Rangers

Following his brief stint with the Avalanche, Kasparaitis signed with the New York Rangers on July 2, 2002. During the 2005-06 season, he served as an alternate captain for the Rangers, alongside Jaromír Jágr and Steve Rucchin, as the team did not have a designated captain. A notable and enduring contribution from Kasparaitis during his time with the Rangers was the establishment of a post-win team salute. After every home victory, Kasparaitis would gather the players at center ice, leading them in a collective stick salute to acknowledge the fans before leaving the ice. This tradition has been continued by the Rangers for every home win since. At the start of the 2006-07 season, he was replaced as an alternate captain by the newly acquired Brendan Shanahan.

3.5. Later NHL and AHL Career

Kasparaitis's role with the Rangers began to decline. He was waived by the team on January 24, 2007, and subsequently demoted to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. He was waived again by the Rangers prior to the 2007-08 season. On November 3, 2007, the Rangers announced that Kasparaitis had been loaned to SKA Saint Petersburg in the then-Russian Superleague (RSL), which later became the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). This arrangement was possible due to the absence of a transfer agreement between Russia and North America at the time, with the Rangers retaining his NHL rights. He continued to play for SKA Saint Petersburg during the 2008-09 KHL season, contributing one assist in 26 games. Kasparaitis did not play during the 2009-10 KHL season due to an injury and announced his retirement at the conclusion of that season. However, he later attempted to become eligible to represent Lithuania internationally, which he successfully did in 2018.

5.1. Junior International Play

Kasparaitis's international debut occurred at the 1990 IIHF European U18 Championship, where he played for the Soviet Union U-18 team. He contributed significantly with one goal and five assists, totaling six points, helping the team secure a gold medal. The following year, he was part of the Soviet Union U-20 team at the 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. In this tournament, he recorded one goal and six assists for seven points, contributing to the Soviet junior team's gold medal victory.

5.2. Senior International Play (Unified Team and Russia)

In August 1991, Kasparaitis joined the Soviet Union senior team, playing in two exhibition games against Sweden. His most prominent early international achievement came at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, where he won a gold medal as a member of the Unified Team, recording two assists in the process.

Following the 1992 Olympics, Kasparaitis began representing the Russian national team, making his first appearance for Russia on April 12, 1992, in a friendly match against Sweden. In the same year, he participated in the 1992 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships, where the Russian national team finished in fifth place, and Kasparaitis contributed two goals and one assist. In 1996, he competed in two major international competitions, the 1996 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, with the Russian team finishing fourth in both tournaments.

In 1998, he participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where the Russian team reached the final and secured a silver medal. Four years later, Kasparaitis played in his third Olympics at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He scored a crucial goal in the bronze medal match against Belarus, helping Russia clinch the bronze medal. Two years later, he competed in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, recording two assists in eight games. His final Olympic appearance was at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where he again recorded two assists in eight games, with the Russian team finishing in fourth place. Over his career, Kasparaitis played a record 28 Olympic games, the most by any Russian national team player. He played 2 games for the Soviet national team, 12 games for the Unified Team, and 59 games for the Russian national team.

5.3. Lithuanian National Team

After his initial retirement, Darius Kasparaitis made efforts to become eligible to represent his birth country, Lithuania, internationally. In 2017, at the age of 45, he returned to active play and was selected for the Lithuanian national team. He made his debut for Lithuania on November 10, 2017, in a Baltic Cup game against Estonia, recording three points (one goal, two assists). The following year, in April 2018, he participated in the 2018 IIHF World Championship Division I B Group, contributing two assists. This tournament marked Kasparaitis's final appearance in international competition. He played 9 games for the Lithuanian national team.

6.1. Coaching

On June 19, 2010, Kasparaitis signed on as an assistant coach for SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). His contract with the team concluded on December 22, 2010.

6.2. Business Ventures

In early 2015, Kasparaitis co-founded the Verzasca Group, a real estate development company based in Florida, where he serves as its president. The company's name is derived from the Verzasca river in Switzerland, symbolizing the "transparency that the firm strives to bring to both its investors and its development partners." Later in the same year, the Verzasca Group successfully gained approval for two residential projects in the Miami area.

9.1. Regular season and playoffs

9.2. International