Over 30 years ago, Darius Kasparaitis was a household name in Pittsburgh that equated to thoughts of anger, disappointment, rage, and wishes of ill will. You need only to look at game 6 of the 1992-93 Division semifinal if you don't believe the torment he instilled in both the players and the fans (and then look to David Volek...stupid David Volek in game 7).
Fast forward three years and that anger and rage morphed into acceptance, excitement, and the proverbial hockey hug from the city, when Kasper was traded to the Penguins. For the next six seasons, Darius became a fan favorite, not for his offensive prowess (he had 15 goals the entire time in the Burgh) but his tough and gritty play. Before being traded to Colorado in 2002, DK logged 661 penalty minutes!
This #mailday card is from the 1997-98 Upper Deck set. It's numbered #391 as part of the base set and is from the subset "Physical Force" that was in Series 2 that year. It's super shiny with that "black diamond"-type finish so it's hard to not get a glare on the photo. Other players featured in the Physical Force subset included Darren McCarty, Matthew Barnaby, Derian Hatcher and HOFers Chris Chelios, Chris Pronger, and Scott Stevens among others.
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