Pittsburgh Penguins gritty defenseman Darius Kasparaitis is out indefinitely after suffering his third torn right ACL in five seasons during Saturday's preseason game with the Detroit Red Wings.

One of only four Penguins to play in at least 81 games last season, Kasparaitis is expected to undergo surgery within the next week. He totaled four goals, eight assists and 127 penalty minutes in 1997-98, his first full season with Pittsburgh.

Kasparaitis already had missed significant time in 1994-95 and 1995-96 with the same injury. He played in 155 games for the New York Islanders in his first two NHL seasons from 1992-1994 before being limited to a total of 59 the next two campaigns.

Known for his feisty style of play, the 5-11 Kasparaitis has averaged 1.76 penalty minutes per game during his 370-game career. His check on Philadelphia Flyers center Eric Lindros last season left the 6-4, 230-pound superstar with a concussion, forcing him to miss a month.

The Penguins acquired Kasparaitis and center Andreas Johansson from the Islanders during November 1996 for center Bryan Smolinski. A native of Lithuania, Kasparaitis has 76 career points with 12 goals and 64 assists.