Latvian defenseman Kaspars Astashenko has passed, according to a Latvian news report. He was 37.
How familiar the name Kaspars Astashenko is with Tampa Bay Lightning fans is, is likely subjective to how long one has been a fan, how intense of a fan they are, and how closely they followed things during the team's proverbial lean years.
Astashenko played only 23 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, between 1999 and 2001, his only play at the NHL level. Kaspars also played for the Latvian National Team in the 2002 Winter Olympics.
