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Rambler's Top100

1 марта 2000 года.
Kasparaitis has semi-comical encounter with Calgary police 
By Joe Starkey TRIBUNE-REVIEW CALGARY

Alberta - Penguins defenseman Darius Kasparaitis has a tendency to infuriate people. The Calgary police officer who caught Kasparaitis jaywalking Tuesday night could vouch for that.

But Kasparaitis can charm and amuse people, too - and that's why this story had a happy ending.

"It's kind of a funny story," Kasparaitis said. "But in the beginning, I was scared a little bit."

Shortly after the Penguins arrived in Calgary at about 5:30 p.m. local time Tuesday, Kasparaitis headed out for dinner with teammates Rob Brown, Brad Werenka and Hans Jonsson. They walked 10 blocks to a restaurant, only to find it closed.

On their way back to the team hotel, Kasparaitis saw a cab and ran to catch it, ignoring a red light. 

"I was cold," he said.

A car screeched to a halt to avoid him.

"Sure enough, it was a cop car - a ghost car," Werenka said. "The guy crossed three lanes of traffic and pulled Kaspar over on the side of the road. And he was mad."

Apparently, jaywalking isn't taken lightly in this part of North America. The officer threatened to write Kasparaitis a ticket and ordered him into the police car.

According to Werenka, who laughed heartily as he recounted the story, Kasparaitis wasn't exactly cooperative.

"Kaspar wouldn't get in the car," Werenka said. "He said, `I don't trust you guys.' The guy asked him where he was from. Kaspar said, `Lithuania,' and he didn't believe him. He said, `Get in the car.' Kaspar said, `I'm not getting in the car. You've got to arrest me first.' So, the cop was thinking about arresting him, and then the three of us came over."

Brown joked that he told the policeman, "Take him away."

After the players piled into the back seat, Kasparaitis proceeded to tell the officer that Werenka was from Mexico. That didn't go over well. The officer threatened to kick Kasparaitis out of the country.

"He tried to get my license and passport," Kasparaitis said.

For a while, it looked as if Kasparaitis might have a hard time escaping trouble. But ... 

"The cop started getting a sense of humor after talking to Kaspar for about 15 or 20 minutes," Werenka said. "He started laughing. He lightened up and drove us to a restaurant."

Kasparaitis had his share of bad luck with the authorities when he broke into the NHL with the New York Islanders. He often had his car towed because he didn't understand the concept of a no-parking zone.

But by the end of this encounter, he had become quite friendly with the Calgary policeman. Kasparaitis even offered the man tickets for last night's game between the Penguins and the Calgary Flames. Unfortunately, the officer couldn't make it.

"He's working tonight," Kasparaitis said. 

Brown said that, by the end of their ride in the police car, the players were laughing so hard they were crying.

"Only Kaspar could cause these kinds of problems," Brown said. "He could have been the first Lithuanian kicked out of Canada. ... It was Kaspar being Kaspar."

Страничка Дариуса Каспарайтиса на сайте "Звёзды с Востока"

ПРЕССА

29 июля. «Рэйнджерс» отказались от идеи выкупа контракта Дариуса Каспарайтиса. 

4 декабря. Дариус Каспарайтис: "Мой любимый прием - "мельница" // "Советский Спорт"

23 октября. Хабибулин и Каспарайтис - в "Ак Барсе" - "Спорт-Экспресс"

20 августа. Дариус Каспарайтис: "Кубок Мира выиграет самая дружная команда" - Спорт-Экспресс.

24 декабря. Kaspar Puts On Big Hit - Newsday

4 декабря. Kasparaitis a Jolly Ranger - Newsday

20 августа. Каспарайтису прооперировано правое колено.

11 августа. Каспарайтис - Король силовых приемов - Советский Спорт

20 февраля. Дарюс забыл обиду

19 февраля. Sather Down on Darius

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