Paul Kariya
Encyclopedia
Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya (kəˈriːə; born October 16, 1974) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey
winger
who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League
(NHL). Known as a skilled and fast-skating offensive player, he played in the NHL for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
, Colorado Avalanche
, Nashville Predators
and St. Louis Blues
.
After a two-year career with the Penticton Panthers, in which he was named Canadian Junior A
Player of the Year in 1992, Kariya joined the college ranks with the Maine Black Bears. In his freshman year, he received the Hobey Baker Award
while leading his team to the 1993 NCAA title. Selected fourth overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft
by the Mighty Ducks, he joined the team in 1994–95 and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team
. During his nine-year tenure with Anaheim, Kariya formed an effective duo with fellow winger Teemu Selänne
that helped him to three NHL First All-Star Team
distinctions, while also finishing as the first runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy
in 1997. Not an aggressive player, he won back-to-back Lady Byng Trophies in 1996 and 1997 as the league's most gentlemanly player. Serving as a captain for seven seasons, he led the Mighty Ducks to the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals
, where they lost to the New Jersey Devils
in seven games. After a single-season stint with the Avalanche for the purpose of reuniting with Selanne who had been traded away from Anaheim, Kariya signed with the Predators in August 2005. He played two seasons in Nashville, setting team records for points scored in a single-season in 2005–06. Kariya then finished his career playing three seasons with the Blues.
Internationally, Kariya represented Canada
on numerous stages and at different levels. He won gold at the 1993 World Junior Championships
, his second appearance at the tournament. He made his first appearance at the Winter Olympics in 1994 as an amateur, winning silver. Eight years later, he helped Canada win gold at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City
. In between Olympic appearances, he won gold and silver at the 1994
and 1996 World Championships
, respectively. Throughout his NHL career, Kariya struggled with numerous concussions, which eventually forced his retirement in June 2011 after sitting out the season because of post-concussion syndrome
.
with the Penticton Panthers of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League
(BCJHL), beginning in 1990–91. Recording 45 goals and 112 points over 54 games in his first season, he was awarded the Vern Dye and Bruce Allison Memorial Trophies as the Interior Conference's most valuable player
(MVP) and rookie of the year, respectively. The following season, he improved to 46 goals and 132 points over 40 games and was awarded the Vern Dye Memorial Trophy for a second consecutive year; he was also further distinguished as the Canadian Junior A
Player of the Year.
During his second BCJHL season, in November 1991, he verbally committed to joining the Maine Black Bears of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA)'s Hockey East
conference for the 1992–93 campaign. Before deciding to join the University of Maine
, Kariya was also accepted and had visited Boston University
and Harvard for their respective programs, while entertaining offers from several other NCAA teams. He also turned down major junior teams from the Western Hockey League
(WHL). His WHL rights originally belonged to the Victoria Cougars, before they were traded to the Tri-City Americans
in October 1991.
In his first year with the Black Bears, he scored an NCAA record 100 points (25 goals and 75 assists) over 39 games. He was named Hockey East's Rookie and Player of the Year, becoming the second player to receive both awards in the same year after Brian Leetch
did so with the Boston College Eagles in 1987. Kariya also received Hockey East First All-Star Team honours, alongside teammates Jim Montgomery
, Chris Imes and Mike Dunham
. Nationally, he was recognized with the Hobey Baker Award
as the NCAA's top player, becoming the first freshman in history to earn the distinction. During the Black Bears' playoff run, head coach Shawn Walsh
heralded him as one of the top three college players all-time. Kariya's efforts led Maine to a record of 42 wins, 1 loss and 2 ties, en route to the Lamoriello Trophy as the Hockey East's playoff champion and the NCAA title as the country's top college team. Facing the Lake Superior State Lakers
in the NCAA final, Kariya registered three assists in the third period to help Maine overcome a two-goal deficit; they won the game 5–4.
A top prospect
heading into the off-season, Kariya was projected to be selected between second and fifth overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft
. Kariya went on to be chosen fourth overall by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
, one of the league's two expansion teams. In addition to becoming Anaheim's first-ever draft pick, he also became the second-highest pick from Vancouver (after Barry Beck
was chosen by the Colorado Rockies
second overall in 1977
). Following his draft, he returned to the University of Maine for his sophomore year as team captain
. He had been voted by his teammates for the role, along with defenceman Chris Imes. With Imes joining the United States' national team
full-time in 1993–94, however, Kariya returned as the lone captain. Kariya was also committed to the Canadian national team
in preparation for the 1994 Winter Olympics
and left the Black Bears in December 1993. Following the Olympics, Kariya chose not to return to Maine, foregoing his remaining college hockey eligibility to turn professional with the Mighty Ducks. He finished the season with 7 goals and 41 points over 23 games with the national team, as well as 8 goals and 24 points over 12 games with Maine.
Five years after his tenure with the Black Bears, Kariya was selected for induction into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame. The ceremony was held on October 15, 1999, at Wells Conference Center on the university's Orono
campus. Two years later, in July 2001, Kariya's number 9 was retired by the Black Bears.
12 million contract over five years from the Ducks. As both sides continued contract talks leading up to training camp
for the 1994–95 season, Kariya agreed to a three-year, $6.5 million deal on August 31, 1994. The majority of the contract consisted of a signing bonus worth $4.775 million, while the annual base salary was valued at $575,000. Clarification regarding Kariya's free agency status had he not signed was required from the league before the contract was agreed upon; it was ruled that he would have become a free agent on June 1, 1995, had the Mighty Ducks not signed him by then.
Garnering a great degree of attention from the Mighty Ducks' fanbase, Kariya's first public practice at Arrowhead Pond drew an attendance of 9,000, while 16,000 fans watched his first exhibition game. Due to the NHL lockout, resulting from a dispute between players and owners, his regular season debut was delayed until January 1995 and the campaign was shortened to 48 games. During the suspension, Kariya participated in a charity tournament held in Hamilton, Ontario
, sponsored by the NHL Players Association
.
As NHL play resumed, Kariya made his debut against the Edmonton Oilers
. He later scored his first career NHL goal on January 21, 1995, against Winnipeg Jets goaltender Tim Cheveldae
. The goal came after a scramble around the crease knocked the puck loose in front of the net on a power play
; Anaheim won the game 4–3. During his rookie season, he played on a line with Stephan Lebeau
and Shaun Van Allen
. Early in the campaign, he held the scoring lead among league rookies, but was later overtaken by Quebec Nordiques
centre Peter Forsberg
. Playing in 47 games, Kariya finished the season with a team-leading 18 goals and 39 points. As a team, the Mighty Ducks struggled in their second year since joining the NHL, finishing last in the Western Conference
. Nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy
as the league's rookie of the year, Kariya lost the award to Forsberg. He was also named to the NHL All-Rookie Team
. His play during his first NHL season earned him comparisons to Wayne Gretzky
for his vision and Pavel Bure
for his speed, while also earning accolades from Gretzky himself.
During Kariya's second season, he was chosen to play for the Western Conference in the 1996 NHL All-Star Game as the lone Ducks representative. At the time of his selection, in January 1996, he was ranked 14th in league scoring with 51 points (23 goals and 28 assists) over 42 games. He later replaced the injured Pavel Bure of the Vancouver Canucks
on the West's starting lineup. Kariya scored a goal and an assist for the Western Conference in a 5–4 loss to the Eastern Conference
. Less than a month after the All-Star Game, the Mighty Ducks acquired Finnish winger Teemu Selänne
in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets. Despite Kariya's efforts, the Ducks were low-scoring as a team; the deal was designed to give Kariya offensive support. Following the trade, Ducks centre Steve Rucchin
commented, "Paul had a lot of pressure on him...He singlehandedly won some games for us this year...Now that we have Teemu, there's no way everybody can just key on Paul." Selanne was immediately placed on Kariya's line; centred by Rucchin, the two wingers formed one of the league's most high-scoring duos for several seasons. In the last month of the 1995–96 campaign, Kariya achieved the 100-point single-season mark with a goal and three assists in a 5–3 win against the San Jose Sharks
on April 7, 1996. A week later, he became the 14th-youngest NHL player to register 50 goals in one season, scoring twice in the final game of the campaign, a 5–2 win against the Jets. With seven goals and seven assists over the final seven games of the season, Kariya was named NHL Player of the Month for April. He finished the season with 50 goals and 58 assists for 108 points, tying him with Selanne for seventh overall in league scoring. His three overtime goals set a team record. With 20 penalty minutes over 82 games, Kariya won the Lady Byng Trophy as the league's most gentlemanly player and was also named to the season-ending NHL First All-Star Team
. Following the addition of Selanne, the Mighty Ducks pushed for a playoff spot, winning 12 of their final 15 games, but finished the season ninth place in the West (the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs); they had an equal 78 points to the eighth-ranked Jets, but finished a spot below them by virtue of having less wins.
Following the 1995–96 season, Ducks captain Randy Ladouceur
retired, leaving the team's leadership position vacant. After serving as an alternate captain the previous year, Kariya was chosen as the third captain in team history, following Ladoceur and Troy Loney
. At 21 years old, he was the youngest active captain in the league and remained so until defenceman Bryan McCabe
became captain of the New York Islanders
two years later. Also during the off-season, there was speculation that the Mighty Ducks would acquire Wayne Gretzky, whose contract had expired with the St. Louis Blues
. Gretzky's agent had publicly declared that the All-Star centre had interest in joining the Ducks, particularly to play with Kariya and Selanne, though the team had not contacted him with an offer. Instead, the Ducks signed 36-year-old centre Jari Kurri
from the New York Rangers
. Following the signing, Ducks head coach Ron Wilson commented that "A veteran player is much better prepared to play with guys like Teemu and Paul." (Though Kariya began the season centred by Kurri, the Finnish veteran did not often play on the top line in his lone season with the team.)
As the ensuing 1996–97 season began, Kariya was out of the lineup with a pulled abdominal muscle. After missing the first 11 games of the season, he returned to the lineup at the end of October 1996. Two weeks after his return, however, he was injured again after suffering a concussion during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs
on November 13, 1996, after opposing defenceman Mathieu Schneider
hit Kariya in the head with his elbow. While the play was not penalized during the game, Schneider was suspended by the league following the contest. Kariya missed two games as a result of the hit. In the 13 games that he was out of the Ducks' lineup, the team won 1 game, lost 10 and tied 2. Later in the season, Kariya was voted in by fans to the West's starting lineup in the 1997 NHL All-Star Game. Receiving 210,015 votes, he was second among Western Conference wingers to Brett Hull
's 254,414. Joining him on the Western squad were Ducks teammates Selanne and Guy Hebert
. During the game, he scored one goal in an 11–7 loss to the East. Returning to club play with the Ducks, he scored the fastest goal to start a game in team history, eight seconds into a match against the Colorado Avalanche on March 9, 1997. The contest ended in a 2–2 tie. Kariya finished the season with 44 goals and 55 assists, one point short of reaching the 100-point mark for the second consecutive year. Limited to 69 games due to his injuries, he still ranked third in league point-scoring, behind Selanne and Pittsburgh Penguins
captain Mario Lemieux
. His +36 plus-minus rating and 10 game-winning goals set Ducks records (the latter mark was tied by Selanne twice in 1997–98 and 2006–07, then broken by Corey Perry
's 11 game-winning goals in 2010–11
). Nominated for the Hart Memorial Trophy
as the league's MVP, alongside Lemieux and Buffalo Sabres
goaltender Dominik Hasek
, Kariya finished as a runner-up to Hasek. He did, however, win the Lady Byng Award after recording six penalty minutes during the season. In doing so, he became the third player in NHL history to win the award in consecutive years after Mike Bossy
(1983 and 1984) and Wayne Gretzky (1991 and 1992). He was also named to the NHL First All-Star Team once more, an honour he shared with Selanne. His efforts helped the Ducks achieve a winning record (36 wins, 33 losses and 13 ties) and reach the playoffs for the first time in team history. Trailing three-games-to-two against the Phoenix Coyotes
in the opening round of the 1997 playoffs
, the Ducks faced elimination in Game 6 of the series. Kariya scored two goals in the contest, including the overtime-winner, leading the Ducks to a 3–2 win. In the ensuing Game 7, Anaheim won 3–0 to eliminate Phoenix. Facing the (eventual Stanley Cup Champions) Detroit Red Wings
in the second round, they were swept in four games. Of the 4-game series, one went to overtime, one went to double overtime, and one went to triple overtime. Playing 11 games in his first NHL playoff season, Kariya had 7 goals and 13 points, which ranked first in team scoring.
With his original NHL contract expiring in the off-season, Kariya and the Ducks struggled to agree on a new deal. As a result, Kariya missed the first 32 games of the 1997–98 campaign. After making $2.1 million the previous season, he was reportedly asking for a three-year deal worth $27 million, while the Ducks countered with five-year, $25 million and seven-year, $49 million contracts. Both sides eventually agreed on a two-year, $14 million deal in December 1997. While the initial year of the contract paid Kariya a pro-rated salary of $5.5 million (it was also agreed in contract negotiations that Kariya would donate $2 million of his first year's salary to Orange County
charities), the second year of the contract paid him $8.5 million, making him the second-highest paid player in league history (behind Mario Lemieux's $11 million salary in 1996–97). During his absence from the Ducks, Kariya trained with the Canadian national team in preparation for the 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano, Japan
. Due to the contract impasse, he missed an opportunity to play in his father's home country, Japan, as the Mighty Ducks opened the season with a two-game series against the Vancouver Canucks in Tokyo
– an effort on the league's part to attract attention to the sport ahead of the Olympics. In his first game back, he recorded two goals and two assists, helping the Mighty Ducks rally from a three-goal deficit to beat the Washington Capitals
6–4. During the second period of the contest, he took a team record seven shots on goal.
With several weeks remaining until the start of the Olympics, Kariya suffered another concussion after receiving a cross-check to the face from Chicago Blackhawks
defenceman Gary Suter
during a game on February 1, 1998. Kariya had scored a goal and was standing still at the side of the Blackhawks' net when Suter hit him. As a result, the Blackhawks defenceman received a four-game suspension from the league. There was wide speculation in the media that the incident was an intentional effort to keep Kariya from playing for Canada at the Olympics; Suter and teammate Chris Chelios
were both members of the United States' national team. In the past, Suter was also accused of intentionally injuring Wayne Gretzky during a game between Canada and the United States in the 1991 Canada Cup
. Canada's general manager, Bobby Clarke
, called the hit a "cheap shot" and publicly echoed the sentiment that Suter wanted to eliminate Kariya from Olympic play. While Kariya was initially expected to recover in time for the Olympics, the injury (his fourth concussion in three years) ultimately sidelined him from the competition, as well as the remaining three months of NHL play. Limited to 22 games in 1997–98, Kariya recorded 17 goals and 31 points.
Following Suter's return from suspension, NHL senior vice president Brian Burke was supposed by Ducks head coach Pierre Page
to have said that he would have given Suter a longer ban if the extent of Kariya's injuries were immediately known. Later in the season, prior to a game between the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs in April 1998, Suter received a death threat, presumably for his actions against Kariya, forcing the NHL to position added security at the Blackhawks bench for the contest. With Kariya away from the team for extended periods of time, the Ducks struggled and finished second-last in the West.
Suffering from post-concussion syndrome
, Kariya experienced headaches and a loss of short-term memory
. During his recovery, he was personally encouraged by fellow NHL players Eric Lindros
and Pat LaFontaine
, who were also dealing with serious concussions. He was not permitted by doctors to begin training until May 1998. Leading up to the 1998–99 season, Kariya told reporters he was ready to play a rougher style to protect himself from the opposition, including "getting [his] stick up" against oncoming players. He also adopted a helmet with increased protection, featuring extra padding and a tighter chin strap. In a similar effort, the Ducks additionally acquired enforcers Stu Grimson
and Jim McKenzie during the off-season. During his recovery, Kariya was outspoken regarding the culture of the league regarding excessive physicality, as well as the lack of deterrence. In an article from the Sporting News, he commented that "There's too much of a lack of respect players have for one another ... If the league wants to stop that kind of conduct, it will have to punish players ... Ten-game suspensions ... and more, have to be brought back to help wake up players." He also added that "There probably isn't a player in the league who hasn't had a concussion."
recorded 66 in 2008–09
. He ranked third in point-scoring among league scorers, behind Selanne and leader Jaromir Jagr
of the Pittsburgh Penguins, while ranking first in the league with 429 shots on goal. Ranked sixth in the West, the Mighty Ducks drew the Red Wings in the opening round of the 1999 playoffs
. In Game 3, Kariya blocked a shot with his skate, breaking his right foot. Unavailable for Game 4, the Ducks lost to the Red Wings and were eliminated. Prior to his injury, Kariya had a goal and four points over three games. Kariya's comeback season following injury was capped off with his third NHL First Team All-Star distinction, receiving 47 of the possible 58 first-place votes for the left-wing position from the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Kariya was also nominated for the league's Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. He lost the award to Tampa Bay Lightning forward John Cullen
, who attempted to return to the NHL after missing the prevoius season with non-Hodgkin lymphoma
. While Selanne finished as second runner-up for the Lady Byng Trophy, Kariya finished sixth in voting.
Having played the final year of his contract, Kariya agreed on a new three-year deal with the Ducks, reported to be worth between $32 and $33 million, during the ensuing summer. The contract was signed on June 30, 1999, one day before he was set to become a restricted free agent
. In the three seasons that ensued, Kariya's offensive production decreased, a period that coincided with the Mighty Ducks failing to qualify for the playoffs each year.
During the 1999–2000 season, Kariya's younger brother Steve Kariya
began playing for the Vancouver Canucks. On December 8, 1999, the Ducks and Canucks met for a contest, marking the first time that the brothers played against each other at any level. Steve recorded an assist on the Canucks' first goal of the game, before being called for a penalty. On the ensuing Ducks power play, Kariya scored to tie the game at a final score of 2–2. Later in the season, Kariya was speared by San Jose Sharks defenceman Bryan Marchment
during a game in March 2000. Kariya was not injured on the play, though Marchment received a three-game suspension from the league. Kariya finished the season with the third-highest goals total of his career with 42, though his points total dipped to 86. Nevertheless, he ranked fourth in league-scoring, behind Jaromir Jagr, Pavel Bure and Mark Recchi
. In the league's season-ending awards, Kariya was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team, having been outvoted for left wing on the First Team by Red Wings forward Brendan Shanahan
. He also ranked seventh in Lady Byng voting.
During pre-season play in September 2000, Kariya received a one-game suspension after slashing Minnesota Wild
player Aaron Gavey
. He was able to serve the suspension during exhibition play. Several months into the 2000–01 season, Kariya suffered a broken right foot after blocking a shot from Tampa Bay Lightning
defenceman Pavel Kubina
during a game in December 2000. Missing 15 games, he returned to the lineup in late-January 2001. The Ducks struggled as a team while both Kariya and Selanne's paled in comparison to previous years. In March 2001, Selanne was traded to the San Jose Sharks, marking the end of his duo with Kariya. Despite he and Kariya's success playing with each other, the Ducks had advanced to the second round of the playoffs just once in their tenure together. While disappointed with the trade, Kariya later commented that with the tandem constituting nearly half of the Ducks' $39 million payroll, "If [he] were running the business, [he] would have done something too." Kariya finished the season with 67 points (33 goals and 34 assists) over 66 games. In addition to losing Selanne via trade, Kariya played the majority of the season without centre Steve Rucchin
, who was suffering from post-concussion syndrome.
Without Selanne for a full season in 2001–02, Kariya's points total continued to decrease. During the opening month of the campaign, he went 10 consecutive game without a goal. Nevertheless, at mid-season, he was named to his sixth NHL All-Star Game in January 2002 (although it marked the first time he had been named to the All-Star Game without being voted in as a starter by fans). Kariya played on a line with Mario Lemieux and Joe Sakic
(a trio that remained intact two weeks later for the 2002 Winter Olympics
) and notched an assist in an 8–5 victory for the North American All-Stars. Shortly thereafter, Kariya played in his 500th career NHL game, against the Philadelphia Flyers
, a contest in which he recorded a hat trick to lead his team to a 5–4 win. Though he finished with a team-leading 57 points over 82 games, the 2001–02 season marked Kariya's worst statistical year as a Duck and the third straight year his points total had decreased. The Ducks also suffered as a team, finishing with the third-worst record in the West. Losing fan support, the team drew the worst attendance in franchise history at home games during the season. During the season, he was often asked by reporters how long he was willing to remain with the Ducks while the franchise floundered. In the Canadian media especially, there was a widespread position that Kariya should be moved to a better club.
During the off-season, Kariya became a restricted free agent before re-signing with the Ducks to a one-year, $10 million contract in July 2002. Prior to the signing, the Ducks made two key acquisitions, signing playmaking centre Adam Oates
to a one-year deal and trading for winger Petr Sykora
from the New Jersey Devils
. Both acquisitions were made with Kariya's input, as well as with the expectation they would play on a line with him. Although Oates was injured at the beginning of the season (during which time Kariya played with his usual centre, Rucchin), the trio formed the Ducks' top line. Despite playing under a defensive system, implemented by new head coach Mike Babcock
, the arrival of Kariya's new linemates coincided with a resurgence in offensive production for him in 2002–03. Several months into the campaign, however, his father died of a heart attack. The Ducks gave Kariya the option to sit out the following game against the Vancouver Canucks, which he played nonetheless on December 28, 2002. He recorded an assist in a 7–3 loss. At mid-season, Kariya was selected as a reserve to his seventh and final NHL All-Star Game, held in February 2003. He scored the deciding shootout goal for the Western Conference, as his team beat the East 6–5. While his 25 goals marked the lowest total of his career since his 22-game 1997–98 season, his 56 assists approached a personal best. With 81 points over 82 games, he led the Ducks in scoring for the fifth time. His efforts helped the Mighty Ducks to the seventh seed in the West, marking the team's return to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Matching up against the second-seeded Red Wings in the first round, Kariya opened the playoffs with a triple-overtime winner in Game 1, resulting in a 2–1 Ducks win. Anaheim went on to sweep the Red Wings in four games; Kariya scored his second goal of the series in the deciding contest, a 3–2 overtime win. It marked the second time in league history that a team eliminated the defending Stanley Cup
champion in four straight games in the first round. The Mighty Ducks went on to eliminate the Dallas Stars
and Minnesota Wild in the next two rounds to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
for the first time in franchise history. During Game 6 of the series against New Jersey, a contest in which the Ducks faced elimination, Kariya received a hard open-ice hit from opposing defenceman Scott Stevens
. Laying motionless on the ice for several minutes, he needed to be helped to the dressing room. Many felt Kariya's equipment changes following his first concussion may have saved him from being rendered unconscious from the Stevens hit. Four-and-a-half minutes of playing time later, he returned to the game. Following his return, he scored on a slapshot while skating down the wing to give the Ducks a 4–1 lead. Anaheim went on to win the game 5–2 to force a Game 7; Kariya finished the contest with a goal and two assists. Reactions regarding Stevens' hit were divided following the game. Kariya told reporters that after looking at replays that Stevens had used his elbow, while Ducks coach Mike Babcock described it as a late hit. The play was not penalized during the game, however, and Stevens received no disciplinary measures from the league. Playing the deciding Game 7 in New Jersey, the Ducks lost the Stanley Cup by a 3–0 score. Over 21 games, Kariya finished third on the team in playoff scoring (behind Adam Oates and Petr Sýkora), scoring 6 goals and 12 points. Much of Anaheim's success was predicated on the performance of goaltender J. S. Giguere's performance, who awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
as playoff MVP. Kariya meanwhile was often singled out for his lack of consistent impact throughout the playoffs. As the highest-profile player on the Ducks, he drew matchups against opposing teams top defencemen during the post-season, such as Willie Mitchell against the Wild and Stevens against the Devils. He had also played part of the post-season with a separated shoulder.
Game 7 of the Finals marked Kariya's last game as a Mighty Duck. After nine seasons, he left Anaheim as the team's all-time leader in games played (606), goals (300), assists (369), points (669), short handed goals (16) and shots (2,455). His seven seasons as team captain also set a Ducks record. After Selanne returned to the Ducks in 2005, Kariya's marks in games played, goals, assists and points were all broken.
, having decided the team had the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup. On July 3, 2003, the Avalanche announced the signing of Kariya and Selanne to one-year contracts. In order for the team to afford both players, Kariya took an $8.8 million paycut from his $10 million salary with Anaheim the previous year, marking the highest decrease in compensation for a player in NHL history. At $1.2 million, his salary was below the NHL average, ensuring that he would have the freedom of unrestricted free agency at the end of the season. Selanne, meanwhile, signed for $5.8 million. Their deals were partially facilitated by goaltender Patrick Roy
's retirement, which freed up $8.5 million in salary.
Kariya and Selanne joined an already highly offensive Avalanche team that included such forwards as Joe Sakic
, Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk
and Alex Tanguay
. Despite high expectations for the duo's reunion, Kariya and Selanne both struggled in their sole years with Colorado. After beginning the 2003–04 season on a line with Selanne centred by Joe Sakic, Kariya suffered a sprained right wrist in a game against the Boston Bruins
on October 21, 2003. After being sidelined for 10 games, he returned in mid-November, but re-injured his wrist in his first contest back. Due to the injury, Kariya missed playing against the Ducks for the first time in a home game on November 18. Still recovering a month later, he remained sidelined for a return to Anaheim's Arrowhead Pond on December 20. Kariya's departure from the Ducks drew criticism from his previous team's fans. In anticipation of the Avalanche-Ducks game on December 20, Anaheim fans began a fund that raised over $1,200 to be given to the favourite charity of the Ducks player who scores the game-winning goal against Colorado. The idea was precipitated by reports that Kariya had given Selanne $3,000 for scoring the game-winning goal against the Ducks on November 18 (it is an informal tradition in the NHL for players to offer rewards to teammates who score against former teams). Kariya returned to the Avalanche lineup in time for their next game against the Ducks on January 13, 2004, at the Pepsi Center
. He scored one goal in a 3–1 win. Later that month, he played his first game against the Ducks in Anaheim on January 30. Booed every time he touched puck, he recorded two assists, as the Avalanche lost 4–3 in overtime. Limited by injuries, Kariya scored below his career pace with 11 goals and 36 points over 51 games. Selanne recorded 32 points, while playing in 78 games. In the final game of the regular season, Kariya injured his right ankle against the Nashville Predators
on April 4. As a team, Colorado lost their division for the first time in nine years to the Vancouver Canucks. Qualifying for the 2004 playoffs
as the fourth seed in the West, they lost in the second round to the Sharks. Kariya returned to the Colorado lineup in time for Game 6 against the Sharks, recording an assist as the Avalanche were eliminated by a score of 3–1.
heralded the acquisition as "unquestionably the biggest signing in [the] club's history." He ultimately chose the Predators for their style of play emphasizing skating and speed. Following the lockout, the NHL adopted several rule changes meant to benefit fast and skilled players such as Kariya. He was one of many NHL players who had publicly spoken out regarding the league's failed attempts in the past to reduce obstruction. During an earlier league-sponsored conference call with the media, Kariya criticized league rules, stating "As an offensive player, I'm going through the neutral zone, and I have a player tugging me the whole way. If I don't go down, I'm not going to get a call because they are not going to make the call." Having come off the worst statistical season of his career in 2003–04, Kariya was admittedly looking to have a bounce-back season.
During the Predators' training camp in September 2005, Kariya suffered separate ankle and groin injuries that limited his participation in team practices and pre-season games. Recovering in time for the season-opener, he debuted with the Predators on October 5, 2005, at home against the San Jose Sharks. Early in the game, Kariya was routinely cheered by fans when he touched the puck. Trailing 2–1 in the third period, he scored on goaltender Evgeni Nabokov
to the tie the game, en route to a 3–2 win. The following game, Kariya participated in his first NHL shootout (the tie-breaker was newly implemented by the league for the 2005–06 season) after the Predators remained tied with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 2–2 following overtime. The last of three shooters for the Predators, Kariya was the lone player to score in the shootout, leading Nashville to a 3–2 win. The two wins helped Nashville go undefeated in their first eight games, two wins shy of the league's record for consecutive victories to start a season. On April 18, 2006, the last day of the regular season, Kariya scored a hat trick against the Detroit Red Wings in a 6–3 win, helping the Predators secure the fourth seed in the Western Conference. In his first season with Nashville, Kariya set team records with 31 goals, 54 assists and 85 points. His 14 power play goals also tied defenceman Andy Delmore
's team record set in 2002–03, while his 245 shots came within three of Cliff Ronning
's mark set in 1998–99. With five shootout goals over seven attempts, Kariya ranked fourth in the NHL in shootout scoring percentage at 71.4% (among players who had taken at least five attempts). On a team basis, the Predators set franchise records with 49 wins and 106 points, ranking fourth in the West. Matching up against the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2006 playoffs
, Kariya opened the post-season with four assists in Game 1 to lead Nashville to a 4–3 win. After taking Game 1, the Predators went on to lose the next four contests and were eliminated from the playoffs. The team was markedly weakened for the playoffs with starting goaltender Tomas Vokoun
unavailable due to injury and Kariya's linemate Steve Sullivan
playing hurt. Kariya had two goals and seven points over the series.
After the Predators' regular season success in 2005–06, the team bolstered their lineup by acquiring centre Jason Arnott
and winger J. P. Dumont. In response to Arnott's signing, Kariya commented that the centre position, as well as size, were weaknesses for the team the previous year, especially when they matched up against the Sharks' top two centres, Joe Thornton
and Patrick Marleau
, in the playoffs. Leading up to the 2006–07 season, the Predators were picked by many analysts in the media (including those from The Globe and Mail
and ESPN
) to contend for the Stanley Cup. Prior to the start of the campaign, the Predators announced defenceman Kimmo Timonen
as the team's new captain, while naming Kariya and Steve Sullivan as alternates (the two served in that role the previous season, as well, but not on a permanent basis). With Kariya leading the team in scoring, the team boasted the top record in the league by the All-Star break. At the NHL trade deadline
, the team further bolstered their lineup by acquiring high-profile centre Peter Forsberg from the Flyers. Forsberg joined Kariya on the top line, though not consistently. With 76 points (24 goals and 52 assists) – the second highest total in team history – over 82 games, Kariya led the Predators in scoring for a second straight year. His seven shootout goals (over 11 attempts) tied for second in the league, one behind Erik Christensen
of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Predators continued to improve and finished with a new team record of 51 wins and 110 points. Despite ranking as the second-best team in the West, Nashville seeded fourth in their conference (divisional winners within the conference take the top three seeds; Detroit beat the Predators by there points in the Central Division
). Playing against the San Jose Sharks for the second consecutive year, the Predators were once again eliminated in five games. Kariya struggled with two assists during the series.
During the off-season, Predators owner Craig Leipold
put the team up for sale; two of the leading candidates to buy the franchise both had plans to relocate the team. With Kariya's contract expiring, he chose not to re-sign with Nashville, citing the team's uncertain future.
. In similar fashion to his signing with Nashville, his arrival in St. Louis marked one of the team's first notable free agent acquisitions in a while (arguably since the team signed Brendan Shanahan in 1991). While the Predators were a team on the rise when he joined them, the Blues had contrastingly missed the playoffs in the previous two seasons.
Although Blues winger Jay McClement
was in possession of the jersey number 9 upon Kariya's arrival in the off-season, he surrendered it so Kariya could retain his usual number. Assigned as an alternate captain for the team, Kariya rotated the position with Keith Tkachuk
, and Barret Jackman
throughout the 2008–09 season
. Kariya debuted with the team on October 4, 2007, registering an assist in a 3–2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. After recording six assists in his first four games as a Blue, Kariya scored his first goal with St. Louis on October 17, 2007, in a 3–1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Two months later, Kariya recorded his 10th career hat trick against the Dallas Stars on December 29, scoring the Blues' final three goals, including the game-tying marker with 10 seconds remaining in regulation. He was stopped in the shootout, however, by Mike Smith as the Stars won the game 5–4. With the hat trick, Kariya reached the 900-point mark in his NHL career. Despite a decrease in offensive production, Kariya tied winger Brad Boyes
for the team lead in scoring with 65 points (16 goals and 49 assists) over 82 games. The Blues finished with the second-worst record in the Western Conference with 33 wins and 79 points.
A month into 2008–09 season
, Kariya suffered a hip injury after being hit from behind in a game against the Anaheim Ducks on November 5, 2008, tearing muscle fibers near the top his left thigh. The injury was initially undisclosed at the time and was erroneously reported as having resulted from a blocked shot. At the time of the injury, he had 15 points (2 goals and 13 assists) over 11 games, tying him for sixth in league scoring. After nearly two months of recovery, he began practicing with the Blues, but had a setback in late-December; a subsequent MRI exam revealed additional hip damage. Undergoing surgery for a torn acetabular labrum
on January 5, 2009, the team listed him as sidelined indefinitely, while team president John Davidson told reporters he might be back late that season or the next. The following month, another MRI revealed a torn labrum in the opposite side of his hip, as well, requiring a second surgery. Despite the loss of Kariya, the Blues made the playoffs for the first time since 2004. With the Blues matching up against the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, Kariya began practicing with the team in hopes of a comeback for the playoffs. He told reporters that he felt "stronger that [he had]...since 1999." The Blues were swept in four games however, before Kariya could return.
Fully recovered by the start of the 2009–10 season
, Kariya made his return to the Blues lineup on October 2, 2009, a game played in Stockholm
, Sweden
. He scored two goals in a 4–3 win against the Detroit Red Wings. On March 18, 2010, Kariya scored the 400th goal of his NHL career, against the New York Rangers. A week later, he recorded the 402nd and final goal of his career, in a 3–1 win against the Los Angeles Kings. Kariya played his last NHL game on April 10, 2010, against his former team, the Nashville Predators. With the Blues trailing by one goal in the third period, Kariya helped set up David Backes
' game-tying goal, marking his 25th assist of the season and final point of his career. The Blues went on to lose the game 2–1 in a shootout.
During his last season in the NHL, the league began expanding their efforts to eliminate hits to the head with new rules and stiffer penalties. League officials also began looking to penalize "blindside hits", defined as a bodycheck against a player from the side, where he cannot see the ensuing player coming. At the time, Kariya called the pending rule changes "long overdue", adding that "hav[ing] been through so much with that...It's something that should've been in place years and years ago."
With his contract expiring in the off-season, Teemu Selanne, who had since returned to the Ducks, was reportedly in talks with team management to sign Kariya. However, on August 27, 2010, on the advice of doctors who refused to clear him to play, Kariya announced that he would sit out the 2010-11 season
with post-concussion syndrome. After the symptoms failed to subside, Kariya officially announced his retirement from the NHL on June 29, 2011. He continued to be outspoken regarding the prevalence of concussions among hockey players; in an interview with the Globe and Mail, he commented "The thing I worry about is that you'll get a guy who is playing with a concussion, and he gets hit, and he dies at centre ice."
. Kariya led all scorers with 10 points in six games while being named to the Tournament All-Star Team. Canada won the silver medal, losing out to the Soviet Union.
The following year, he moved up to the Canadian Under-20 Team for the 1992 World Junior Championships
in Germany. The youngest player on the team, he recorded a goal and an assist over six games as Canada finished in sixth place. Playing in the tournament a second consecutive year in 1993
, Kariya improved to two goals and eight points over seven games, ranking second in team-scoring behind Martin Lapointe
. Helping Canada to a record of six winsand one loss, they tied Sweden for first overall in the standings, but won the gold medal by way of their 5–4 win against them in their second game. The championship marked Kariya's first international gold medal and began a streak of five consecutive gold medals for Canada at the tournament. He was named to the Tournament All-Star Team, alongside Canadian goaltender Manny Legace
and defenceman Brent Tully. Nearly 10 years later, The Sports Network
held a fan-voted poll on the internet to select Canada's all-time World Junior team. The poll garnered in excess of 350,000 votes with Kariya chosen as one of 13 forwards on the team.
Four months later, in April 1993, Kariya debuted with the Canadian men's team in the IIHF World Championships
, held in Germany. At 18 years and 6 months, he became the youngest player in Canadian history to play at the tournament. He scored nine points in eight games, as Canada finished in fourth place.
Later that year, in December 1993, Kariya left his college team, the Maine Black Bears, to join the Canadian national team in preparation for the 1994 Winter Olympics
in Lillehammer
, Norway
. At the start of the tournament, Canada was seeded seventh overall and were not considered favourites to do well. Playing on a line with Chris Kontos
and Petr Nedved
, Kariya led his team in scoring with 3 goals and 7 points over 8 games, helping Canada to a silver medal. Tied with the Czech Republic
2–2 in the quartefinal, Kariya scored the game-winning goal after 16 minutes of overtime play to help the Canadians advance. In the gold medal game, Kariya scored the first goal as Canada went on to lose 3–2 in a shootout to Sweden
. With a chance to tie the shootout after Swedish forward Peter Forsberg scored, Swedish goaltender Tommy Salo
stopped Kariya with a glove save.
Two months later, Kariya joined Team Canada for the 1994 Men's World Championships
in Italy
. He was the lone player on the team to have continued on from the Olympics, as well as the youngest, while playing on a line with Jason Arnott
and Brendan Shanahan
. During round-robin play, he netted a hat trick against Austria in a 6–1 win. In the quarterfinal, he added a goal and an assist in a win over the Czech Republic. Canada advanced to the final, where they defeated Finland 2–1 to capture the gold medal. It marked the first championship at the tournament for Canada in 33 years. Kariya finished the tournament with a team-high 5 goals and 12 points over 8 games and received Best Forward and All-Star Team honours (on the latter, he was joined by Canadian goaltender Bill Ranford
. With his success at the 1994 Winter Olympics and World Championships, Wayne Gretzky heralded Kariya as the next NHL superstar.
In January 1996, Kariya finished as a runner-up to Wayne Gretzky for the inaugural Jean Beliveau Award, an annual distinction from Hockey Canada
for players who have demonstrated "outstanding playing ability and international experience while maintaining the fundamentals of sportsmanship and fair play. Unlike most annual awards, the distinction did not take into account players' performances in the prior year, but their contributions on a career-basis. The initial three nominees were chosen by a selection committee, while the winner was determined by fan vote. Randy Gregg was the other nominee.
Following his second NHL season, Kariya was named to Canada's team for the 1996 World Championships
in Vienna, Austria. During the round-robin, he scored a hat trick against the United States, helping Canada to a 5–1 win, qualifying them for the quarterfinals. During their semifinal against Russia, Kariya scored in the shootout to help Canada to a 3–2 win. Advancing to the gold medal game, they lost 4–2 to the Czech Republic. Kariya finished the competition with four goals and seven points over eight games, earning him a spot as Canada's lone representative on the Tournament's First All-Star Team. Over three World Championship appearances, Kariya recorded 28 points (11 goals and 17 assists) over 24 games, which at the time, ranked him at third all-time among Canadian scorers, behind Steve Yzerman
's 39 points and Marcel Dionne
's 32.
Prior to the World Championships, Canada also named Kariya to their team for the 1996 World Cup
, which was held in August and September. However, Kariya was kept from competing due to a groin inflammation. During a news conference
, he called his withdrawal the "biggest disappointment of [his] hockey career." The World Cup would have marked his first international appearance in a best-on-best
tournament, as the competition did not interfere with the Stanley Cup playoffs
as the World Championships did. Kariya was replaced in the lineup by New York Rangers winger Adam Graves
. Canada went on to finish as runner-up to the United States in the tournament.
In June 1997, Kariya was again nominated for the Jean Beliveau Award, alongside Gregg, but lost to Bobby Orr
.
Four years after his first Olympic appearance as an amateur, the 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano, Japan
, were set to become the first Games in which NHL players could compete in ice hockey. While Kariya was involved in a contract dispute with the Mighty Ducks, causing him to miss the start of the 1997–98 NHL season, Hockey Canada contacted Kariya, asking him to provide a training regimen by December 1, 1997, ensuring that he would be physically ready to play in the Olympics, given his inactivity in the NHL. Before agreeing to a contract with the Ducks in December, he joined the Canadian national team in training. On November 29, 1997, Canadian general manager Bobby Clarke
announced his roster for the Games, which included Kariya. He was the second-youngest player named to the team, behind defenceman Chris Pronger
, who was born six days earlier. Less than a month to go before the start of the tournament, held in February 1998, he suffered a concussion, resulting from an on-ice crosscheck to the head from Chicago Blackhawks
defenceman Gary Suter
. The hit received much publicity as Suter, a member of the United States' national team, was accused by many in the media, as well as Canadian general manager Bobby Clarke
for targeting Kariya specifically in order to sideline him for the Olympics. He again described the missed opportunity as the "biggest disappointment of [his] career," adding that he was looking forward to playing in Japan, having family there.
Leading up to the next Winter Olympics, Kariya was chosen as one of eight initial players to Canada's roster on March 23, 2001. Playing on the top line with Mario Lemieux, Kariya scored three goals and one assist over six games, tying for fourth in Canadian point-scoring. He registered his first goal of the tournament in Canada's second game, a 3–2 win against Germany. His second came against Belarus in the semi-final, qualifying Canada for the gold medal game. Playing the United States in the final, Kariya scored Canada's first goal of the game, tying the score at 1 in the first period. Canada went on to win 5–2, capturing their first Olympic gold medal since 1952. Canada's roster was later inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame under the team category on March 26, 2009, during a ceremony in Vancouver.
Despite Kariya's success with Canada at the 2002 Olympics, he had come off the worst statistical season of his career prior to the national team's summer development camp in preparation for the 2006 Winter Olympics
. His omission was singled out by the media; general manager Wayne Gretzky, who selected the camp's participants, explained publicly, "Paul is a great player, but at some point you have to have a cutoff," while also asserting that he had spoken to Kariya personally regarding the situation. After a strong start to the 2005–06 NHL season, Kariya was one of 49 forwards chosen in October 2005 to Canada's preliminary list of players to be selected from for the final roster. When the team was announced in December 2005, however, he was not chosen.
During his career, Kariya became involved with Hockey Canada
off the ice, as well. In the late-1990's he joined the organization as a national spokesperson with women's team forward Jayna Hefford
for the Initiation Program, promoting a safe and positive experience for children first becoming involved with hockey.
heralded him as "think[ing] and play[ing] at a better speed than anybody else," adding that his teammates "are usually a half-step behind him." His speed made him particularly adept in international competition, as games were played on a larger ice surface in comparison to the NHL. Following his first NHL goal against the Winnipeg Jets, opposing coach John Paddock
told reporters, "like with Gretzky the puck seems to following him around... It looks like he's cherry-picking, but he's not. That's just great instinct." Kariya himself vcited Gretzky, as well as Brett Hull, Jeremy Roenick
and Pavel Bure as players he liked patterning his game after. Kariya was also recognized for his "hockey sense" and the cerebral aspect of his game, which included analyzing the game at a high level. His first NHL coach, Ron Wilson, also once described Kariya as "the hardest-working athlete [he's] ever been associated with".
While recognized primarily as a playmaker leading up to his NHL career, Kariya was forced into shooting more as the Mighty Ducks lacked scorers in his first two seasons with the team. During his third NHL season, he commented that "If Teemu [Selanne] had been here right off the bat, then maybe I wouldn't have focused so much on shooting." Kariya was able to put many shots on goal due to his quick release. In 1998–99, he led the league with 429 shots on goal, which at the time was the second-highest recorded total in NHL history. Nonetheless maintaining his passing ability, Kariya was particularly adept at making plays from deep in the offensive zone and beside the opposing team's net.
, British Columbia
, to parents Tetsuhiko and Sharon Kariya. His father, a Japanese-Canadian born in a World War II
internment camp, worked as a math teacher. Tetsuhiko died from a heart attack suffered on December 27, 2002. Kariya's mother, a Scottish-Canadian, was also a teacher. Coming from an athletic family, his father played rugby
with the Canadian national team
. Kariya is one of four siblings that play professional sports. Brothers Steve
and Martin
are also hockey players. His sister, Noriko, played hockey, as well, before turning to boxing
.
As a teenager, Kariya worked for a summer in construction. At age 16, he left home to play Junior A hockey
in Penticton, British Columbia
, where he also worked at a clothing store that belonged to the team's coach and general manager. Two years later, he enrolled at the University of Maine
to join the school's hockey team and was a dean's list
student. During his rookie NHL season, Kariya lived in the Anaheim area with a family that was close friend with Mighty Ducks head coach Ron Wilson. Following his departure from the Ducks in 2003, he maintained a summer home in Orange County, California
. With a background in competitive swimming as a child, he became an avid surfer in the area.
As captain of the Mighty Ducks, Kariya made a cameo appearance in Disney's D3: The Mighty Ducks
movie, which was released in October 1996.
Note: Selanne served as captain during the latter half of the 1997–98 season. Kariya was injured and out of the line-up.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). Known as a skilled and fast-skating offensive player, he played in the NHL for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
.
After a two-year career with the Penticton Panthers, in which he was named Canadian Junior A
Canadian Junior A Hockey League
The Canadian Junior Hockey League , an association of Canadian Junior A ice hockey leagues and teams, formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior Hockey League wins the Royal Bank Cup.The CJHL spans the majority of...
Player of the Year in 1992, Kariya joined the college ranks with the Maine Black Bears. In his freshman year, he received the Hobey Baker Award
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...
while leading his team to the 1993 NCAA title. Selected fourth overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft
1993 NHL Entry Draft
The 1993 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 26, 1993, at the Colisee de Quebec in Quebec City, Quebec.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise specified.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
by the Mighty Ducks, he joined the team in 1994–95 and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team
NHL All-Rookie Team
The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year...
. During his nine-year tenure with Anaheim, Kariya formed an effective duo with fellow winger Teemu Selänne
Teemu Selänne
Teemu Ilmari Selänne nicknamed "The Finnish Flash" is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger, an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . An offensive player known for his skill and speed, Selanne has led the NHL in goal-scoring three times and has been named to...
that helped him to three NHL First All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
distinctions, while also finishing as the first runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
in 1997. Not an aggressive player, he won back-to-back Lady Byng Trophies in 1996 and 1997 as the league's most gentlemanly player. Serving as a captain for seven seasons, he led the Mighty Ducks to the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals
2003 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2003 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the champion of the National Hockey League for the 2002–03 season...
, where they lost to the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in seven games. After a single-season stint with the Avalanche for the purpose of reuniting with Selanne who had been traded away from Anaheim, Kariya signed with the Predators in August 2005. He played two seasons in Nashville, setting team records for points scored in a single-season in 2005–06. Kariya then finished his career playing three seasons with the Blues.
Internationally, Kariya represented Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
on numerous stages and at different levels. He won gold at the 1993 World Junior Championships
1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 17th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Gävle, Sweden. Canada won the gold medal, its sixth championship, while Sweden won silver, and the combined team of the Czech and Slovak Republics won bronze...
, his second appearance at the tournament. He made his first appearance at the Winter Olympics in 1994 as an amateur, winning silver. Eight years later, he helped Canada win gold at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...
. In between Olympic appearances, he won gold and silver at the 1994
1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
- Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :...
and 1996 World Championships
1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
- Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Austria was relegated to Group B.- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :...
, respectively. Throughout his NHL career, Kariya struggled with numerous concussions, which eventually forced his retirement in June 2011 after sitting out the season because of post-concussion syndrome
Post-concussion syndrome
Post-concussion syndrome, also known as postconcussive syndrome or PCS, and historically called shell shock, is a set of symptoms that a person may experience for weeks, months, or occasionally up to a year or more after a concussion – a mild form of traumatic brain injury . PCS may also...
.
Amateur
Kariya played two seasons of Junior AJunior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
with the Penticton Panthers of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League
British Columbia Hockey League
The British Columbia Hockey League is a Junior "A" ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada, a subsection of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 16 teams. These teams play in two conferences, known as the Coastal and the Interior...
(BCJHL), beginning in 1990–91. Recording 45 goals and 112 points over 54 games in his first season, he was awarded the Vern Dye and Bruce Allison Memorial Trophies as the Interior Conference's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
(MVP) and rookie of the year, respectively. The following season, he improved to 46 goals and 132 points over 40 games and was awarded the Vern Dye Memorial Trophy for a second consecutive year; he was also further distinguished as the Canadian Junior A
Canadian Junior A Hockey League
The Canadian Junior Hockey League , an association of Canadian Junior A ice hockey leagues and teams, formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior Hockey League wins the Royal Bank Cup.The CJHL spans the majority of...
Player of the Year.
During his second BCJHL season, in November 1991, he verbally committed to joining the Maine Black Bears of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA)'s Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
conference for the 1992–93 campaign. Before deciding to join the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
, Kariya was also accepted and had visited Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
and Harvard for their respective programs, while entertaining offers from several other NCAA teams. He also turned down major junior teams from the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
(WHL). His WHL rights originally belonged to the Victoria Cougars, before they were traded to the Tri-City Americans
Tri-City Americans
The Tri-City Americans are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, based in Kennewick, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center...
in October 1991.
In his first year with the Black Bears, he scored an NCAA record 100 points (25 goals and 75 assists) over 39 games. He was named Hockey East's Rookie and Player of the Year, becoming the second player to receive both awards in the same year after Brian Leetch
Brian Leetch
Brian Joseph Leetch is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 18 National Hockey League seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. He is generally considered one of the top defensemen in NHL history, being particularly noted for his...
did so with the Boston College Eagles in 1987. Kariya also received Hockey East First All-Star Team honours, alongside teammates Jim Montgomery
Jim Montgomery (ice hockey)
Jim Montgomery is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League with the St...
, Chris Imes and Mike Dunham
Mike Dunham
Michael Dunham is a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently the goaltending coach for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. Nationally, he was recognized with the Hobey Baker Award
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...
as the NCAA's top player, becoming the first freshman in history to earn the distinction. During the Black Bears' playoff run, head coach Shawn Walsh
Shawn Walsh
William Shawn Walsh was the head ice hockey coach for the University of Maine Black Bears....
heralded him as one of the top three college players all-time. Kariya's efforts led Maine to a record of 42 wins, 1 loss and 2 ties, en route to the Lamoriello Trophy as the Hockey East's playoff champion and the NCAA title as the country's top college team. Facing the Lake Superior State Lakers
Lake Superior State Lakers men's ice hockey
The Lake Superior State Lakers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents Lake Superior State University. The Lakers are a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association . They play at the Taffy Abel Arena in Sault...
in the NCAA final, Kariya registered three assists in the third period to help Maine overcome a two-goal deficit; they won the game 5–4.
A top prospect
Prospect (sports)
In sports, a prospect is any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team, or isn't established with the team yet. Prospects can sometimes be assigned to farm teams...
heading into the off-season, Kariya was projected to be selected between second and fifth overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft
1993 NHL Entry Draft
The 1993 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 26, 1993, at the Colisee de Quebec in Quebec City, Quebec.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise specified.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
. Kariya went on to be chosen fourth overall by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, one of the league's two expansion teams. In addition to becoming Anaheim's first-ever draft pick, he also became the second-highest pick from Vancouver (after Barry Beck
Barry Beck
Barry Beck is a retired former professional ice hockey player who was drafted second overall in both the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft and the 1977 WHA Amateur Draft from the New Westminster Bruins. Beck helped the Bruins to the Memorial Cup in 1977. He opted to move to the NHL over the WHA, and began...
was chosen by the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
second overall in 1977
1977 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1977 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal, Quebec.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft.Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:...
). Following his draft, he returned to the University of Maine for his sophomore year as team captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
. He had been voted by his teammates for the role, along with defenceman Chris Imes. With Imes joining the United States' national team
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
full-time in 1993–94, however, Kariya returned as the lone captain. Kariya was also committed to the Canadian national team
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
in preparation for the 1994 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics was held at the Fjellhallen in Gjøvik and the Håkons Hall in Lillehammer, Norway. The competition, held from February 12 to February 27, was won by Sweden and Canada as runner-up.-Final rankings:Source:* Gold -...
and left the Black Bears in December 1993. Following the Olympics, Kariya chose not to return to Maine, foregoing his remaining college hockey eligibility to turn professional with the Mighty Ducks. He finished the season with 7 goals and 41 points over 23 games with the national team, as well as 8 goals and 24 points over 12 games with Maine.
Five years after his tenure with the Black Bears, Kariya was selected for induction into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame. The ceremony was held on October 15, 1999, at Wells Conference Center on the university's Orono
Orono, Maine
Orono is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It was first settled in 1774 and named in honor of Chief Joseph Orono of the Penobscot Nation. It is home to The University of Maine. The population was 10,362 at the 2010 census.- Geography :...
campus. Two years later, in July 2001, Kariya's number 9 was retired by the Black Bears.
1994–98
Upon returning from the 1994 Olympics, Kariya began contract negotiations with the Mighty Ducks in hopes of joining the team for the remainder of the 1993–94 NHL season. However, a deal failed to materialize and there was speculation in the media that he would instead play in Europe. It was reported that Kariya was seeking a US$United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
12 million contract over five years from the Ducks. As both sides continued contract talks leading up to training camp
Training camp
A training camp is a place, usually with an army-camp-type environment, where people go to learn skills, usually skills involving physical action rather than book subjects, usually for an armed force or an action sport...
for the 1994–95 season, Kariya agreed to a three-year, $6.5 million deal on August 31, 1994. The majority of the contract consisted of a signing bonus worth $4.775 million, while the annual base salary was valued at $575,000. Clarification regarding Kariya's free agency status had he not signed was required from the league before the contract was agreed upon; it was ruled that he would have become a free agent on June 1, 1995, had the Mighty Ducks not signed him by then.
Garnering a great degree of attention from the Mighty Ducks' fanbase, Kariya's first public practice at Arrowhead Pond drew an attendance of 9,000, while 16,000 fans watched his first exhibition game. Due to the NHL lockout, resulting from a dispute between players and owners, his regular season debut was delayed until January 1995 and the campaign was shortened to 48 games. During the suspension, Kariya participated in a charity tournament held in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, sponsored by the NHL Players Association
NHL Players Association
The National Hockey League Players' Association or NHLPA is the labor union for the group of professional hockey players who are under Standard Player Contracts to the thirty member clubs in the National Hockey League located in the United States and Canada...
.
As NHL play resumed, Kariya made his debut against the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. He later scored his first career NHL goal on January 21, 1995, against Winnipeg Jets goaltender Tim Cheveldae
Tim Cheveldae
Timothy M. Cheveldae is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender. During his ten year National Hockey League career, he played with the Detroit Red Wings, Winnipeg Jets, and Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
. The goal came after a scramble around the crease knocked the puck loose in front of the net on a power play
Power play (sport)
"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...
; Anaheim won the game 4–3. During his rookie season, he played on a line with Stephan Lebeau
Stéphan Lebeau
Stéphan Lebeau is a former professional ice hockey centre who played seven seasons in the National Hockey League from 1988–89 to 1994–95. He won a Stanley Cup in 1993 with the Montreal Canadiens...
and Shaun Van Allen
Shaun Van Allen
Shaun Van Allen is a retired professional hockey player who played in the NHL from 1991 to 2004. He played 794 games in the NHL, and scored 269 points.-Professional career:...
. Early in the campaign, he held the scoring lead among league rookies, but was later overtaken by Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
centre Peter Forsberg
Peter Forsberg
Peter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
. Playing in 47 games, Kariya finished the season with a team-leading 18 goals and 39 points. As a team, the Mighty Ducks struggled in their second year since joining the NHL, finishing last in the Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
. Nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as the league's rookie of the year, Kariya lost the award to Forsberg. He was also named to the NHL All-Rookie Team
NHL All-Rookie Team
The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year...
. His play during his first NHL season earned him comparisons to Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
for his vision and Pavel Bure
Pavel Bure
Pavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
for his speed, while also earning accolades from Gretzky himself.
During Kariya's second season, he was chosen to play for the Western Conference in the 1996 NHL All-Star Game as the lone Ducks representative. At the time of his selection, in January 1996, he was ranked 14th in league scoring with 51 points (23 goals and 28 assists) over 42 games. He later replaced the injured Pavel Bure of the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
on the West's starting lineup. Kariya scored a goal and an assist for the Western Conference in a 5–4 loss to the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
. Less than a month after the All-Star Game, the Mighty Ducks acquired Finnish winger Teemu Selänne
Teemu Selänne
Teemu Ilmari Selänne nicknamed "The Finnish Flash" is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger, an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . An offensive player known for his skill and speed, Selanne has led the NHL in goal-scoring three times and has been named to...
in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets. Despite Kariya's efforts, the Ducks were low-scoring as a team; the deal was designed to give Kariya offensive support. Following the trade, Ducks centre Steve Rucchin
Steve Rucchin
Steven Andrew Rucchin is a retired ice hockey centre who played for three teams in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.-Playing career:...
commented, "Paul had a lot of pressure on him...He singlehandedly won some games for us this year...Now that we have Teemu, there's no way everybody can just key on Paul." Selanne was immediately placed on Kariya's line; centred by Rucchin, the two wingers formed one of the league's most high-scoring duos for several seasons. In the last month of the 1995–96 campaign, Kariya achieved the 100-point single-season mark with a goal and three assists in a 5–3 win against the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
on April 7, 1996. A week later, he became the 14th-youngest NHL player to register 50 goals in one season, scoring twice in the final game of the campaign, a 5–2 win against the Jets. With seven goals and seven assists over the final seven games of the season, Kariya was named NHL Player of the Month for April. He finished the season with 50 goals and 58 assists for 108 points, tying him with Selanne for seventh overall in league scoring. His three overtime goals set a team record. With 20 penalty minutes over 82 games, Kariya won the Lady Byng Trophy as the league's most gentlemanly player and was also named to the season-ending NHL First All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
. Following the addition of Selanne, the Mighty Ducks pushed for a playoff spot, winning 12 of their final 15 games, but finished the season ninth place in the West (the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs); they had an equal 78 points to the eighth-ranked Jets, but finished a spot below them by virtue of having less wins.
Randy Ladouceur
Randall Ladouceur . Ladouceur is a current assistant coach of the Montreal Canadiens. He is a former assistant coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs and former assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs...
retired, leaving the team's leadership position vacant. After serving as an alternate captain the previous year, Kariya was chosen as the third captain in team history, following Ladoceur and Troy Loney
Troy Loney
Troy Ayne Loney is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey Left Winger.-Career:Loney was a member of the 1991 and 1992 Pittsburgh Penguin Stanley Cup champions. He was the veteran forward who was claimed by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim at the Expansion Draft in June 1993, and was named the...
. At 21 years old, he was the youngest active captain in the league and remained so until defenceman Bryan McCabe
Bryan McCabe
Bryan McCabe is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is a free agent.McCabe moved to Calgary, Alberta at a young age and spent the majority of his minor hockey career playing in the Calgary area....
became captain of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
two years later. Also during the off-season, there was speculation that the Mighty Ducks would acquire Wayne Gretzky, whose contract had expired with the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
. Gretzky's agent had publicly declared that the All-Star centre had interest in joining the Ducks, particularly to play with Kariya and Selanne, though the team had not contacted him with an offer. Instead, the Ducks signed 36-year-old centre Jari Kurri
Jari Kurri
Jari Pekka Kurri is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey right winger and a five-time Stanley Cup champion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He is currently the general manager of Team Finland....
from the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Following the signing, Ducks head coach Ron Wilson commented that "A veteran player is much better prepared to play with guys like Teemu and Paul." (Though Kariya began the season centred by Kurri, the Finnish veteran did not often play on the top line in his lone season with the team.)
As the ensuing 1996–97 season began, Kariya was out of the lineup with a pulled abdominal muscle. After missing the first 11 games of the season, he returned to the lineup at the end of October 1996. Two weeks after his return, however, he was injured again after suffering a concussion during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on November 13, 1996, after opposing defenceman Mathieu Schneider
Mathieu Schneider
Mathieu Schneider is a American former professional ice hockey player. Considered an offensive defenseman, Schneider played 1289 games in the National Hockey League with ten different teams, scoring 233 goals and totalling 743 points...
hit Kariya in the head with his elbow. While the play was not penalized during the game, Schneider was suspended by the league following the contest. Kariya missed two games as a result of the hit. In the 13 games that he was out of the Ducks' lineup, the team won 1 game, lost 10 and tied 2. Later in the season, Kariya was voted in by fans to the West's starting lineup in the 1997 NHL All-Star Game. Receiving 210,015 votes, he was second among Western Conference wingers to Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
's 254,414. Joining him on the Western squad were Ducks teammates Selanne and Guy Hebert
Guy Hebert
Guy Andre Hebert is a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender. He is a graduate of La Salle Institute in Troy and Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. Despite being an American, he used the French pronunciation of his first and last name. During his NHL career he played for the St...
. During the game, he scored one goal in an 11–7 loss to the East. Returning to club play with the Ducks, he scored the fastest goal to start a game in team history, eight seconds into a match against the Colorado Avalanche on March 9, 1997. The contest ended in a 2–2 tie. Kariya finished the season with 44 goals and 55 assists, one point short of reaching the 100-point mark for the second consecutive year. Limited to 69 games due to his injuries, he still ranked third in league point-scoring, behind Selanne and Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
captain Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
. His +36 plus-minus rating and 10 game-winning goals set Ducks records (the latter mark was tied by Selanne twice in 1997–98 and 2006–07, then broken by Corey Perry
Corey Perry
Corey Perry is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League , he captured a Memorial Cup with the London Knights and a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships during...
's 11 game-winning goals in 2010–11
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
). Nominated for the Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
as the league's MVP, alongside Lemieux and Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
goaltender Dominik Hasek
Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
, Kariya finished as a runner-up to Hasek. He did, however, win the Lady Byng Award after recording six penalty minutes during the season. In doing so, he became the third player in NHL history to win the award in consecutive years after Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
(1983 and 1984) and Wayne Gretzky (1991 and 1992). He was also named to the NHL First All-Star Team once more, an honour he shared with Selanne. His efforts helped the Ducks achieve a winning record (36 wins, 33 losses and 13 ties) and reach the playoffs for the first time in team history. Trailing three-games-to-two against the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
in the opening round of the 1997 playoffs
1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, 1997, following the 1996–97 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series for conference quarter-finals, semi-finals and championships, and then...
, the Ducks faced elimination in Game 6 of the series. Kariya scored two goals in the contest, including the overtime-winner, leading the Ducks to a 3–2 win. In the ensuing Game 7, Anaheim won 3–0 to eliminate Phoenix. Facing the (eventual Stanley Cup Champions) Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in the second round, they were swept in four games. Of the 4-game series, one went to overtime, one went to double overtime, and one went to triple overtime. Playing 11 games in his first NHL playoff season, Kariya had 7 goals and 13 points, which ranked first in team scoring.
With his original NHL contract expiring in the off-season, Kariya and the Ducks struggled to agree on a new deal. As a result, Kariya missed the first 32 games of the 1997–98 campaign. After making $2.1 million the previous season, he was reportedly asking for a three-year deal worth $27 million, while the Ducks countered with five-year, $25 million and seven-year, $49 million contracts. Both sides eventually agreed on a two-year, $14 million deal in December 1997. While the initial year of the contract paid Kariya a pro-rated salary of $5.5 million (it was also agreed in contract negotiations that Kariya would donate $2 million of his first year's salary to Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
charities), the second year of the contract paid him $8.5 million, making him the second-highest paid player in league history (behind Mario Lemieux's $11 million salary in 1996–97). During his absence from the Ducks, Kariya trained with the Canadian national team in preparation for the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to...
in Nagano, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Due to the contract impasse, he missed an opportunity to play in his father's home country, Japan, as the Mighty Ducks opened the season with a two-game series against the Vancouver Canucks in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
– an effort on the league's part to attract attention to the sport ahead of the Olympics. In his first game back, he recorded two goals and two assists, helping the Mighty Ducks rally from a three-goal deficit to beat the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
6–4. During the second period of the contest, he took a team record seven shots on goal.
With several weeks remaining until the start of the Olympics, Kariya suffered another concussion after receiving a cross-check to the face from Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
defenceman Gary Suter
Gary Suter
Gary Lee Suter is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He played his junior hockey for the Dubuque Fighting Saints, high school hockey at Culver Military Academy and then moved on to the University of Wisconsin–Madison...
during a game on February 1, 1998. Kariya had scored a goal and was standing still at the side of the Blackhawks' net when Suter hit him. As a result, the Blackhawks defenceman received a four-game suspension from the league. There was wide speculation in the media that the incident was an intentional effort to keep Kariya from playing for Canada at the Olympics; Suter and teammate Chris Chelios
Chris Chelios
Christos Kostas Tselios is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently the Executive Advisor to Ken Holland, the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, a role that Steve Yzerman held before leaving to become general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.Chelios played...
were both members of the United States' national team. In the past, Suter was also accused of intentionally injuring Wayne Gretzky during a game between Canada and the United States in the 1991 Canada Cup
1991 Canada Cup
The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada...
. Canada's general manager, Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team...
, called the hit a "cheap shot" and publicly echoed the sentiment that Suter wanted to eliminate Kariya from Olympic play. While Kariya was initially expected to recover in time for the Olympics, the injury (his fourth concussion in three years) ultimately sidelined him from the competition, as well as the remaining three months of NHL play. Limited to 22 games in 1997–98, Kariya recorded 17 goals and 31 points.
Following Suter's return from suspension, NHL senior vice president Brian Burke was supposed by Ducks head coach Pierre Page
Pierre Pagé
Pierre Pagé, also spelled Pierre Page is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and executive. He currently coaches EC Red Bull Salzburg. He is also a former head coach in the National Hockey League .-Coaching career:...
to have said that he would have given Suter a longer ban if the extent of Kariya's injuries were immediately known. Later in the season, prior to a game between the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs in April 1998, Suter received a death threat, presumably for his actions against Kariya, forcing the NHL to position added security at the Blackhawks bench for the contest. With Kariya away from the team for extended periods of time, the Ducks struggled and finished second-last in the West.
Suffering from post-concussion syndrome
Post-concussion syndrome
Post-concussion syndrome, also known as postconcussive syndrome or PCS, and historically called shell shock, is a set of symptoms that a person may experience for weeks, months, or occasionally up to a year or more after a concussion – a mild form of traumatic brain injury . PCS may also...
, Kariya experienced headaches and a loss of short-term memory
Short-term memory
Short-term memory is the capacity for holding a small amount of information in mind in an active, readily available state for a short period of time. The duration of short-term memory is believed to be in the order of seconds. A commonly cited capacity is 7 ± 2 elements...
. During his recovery, he was personally encouraged by fellow NHL players Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
and Pat LaFontaine
Pat LaFontaine
Patrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
, who were also dealing with serious concussions. He was not permitted by doctors to begin training until May 1998. Leading up to the 1998–99 season, Kariya told reporters he was ready to play a rougher style to protect himself from the opposition, including "getting [his] stick up" against oncoming players. He also adopted a helmet with increased protection, featuring extra padding and a tighter chin strap. In a similar effort, the Ducks additionally acquired enforcers Stu Grimson
Stu Grimson
A. Stuart Grimson is a former Canadian ice hockey forward. Grimson played in the National Hockey League from 1989 to 2002. During this time, he played for the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings,...
and Jim McKenzie during the off-season. During his recovery, Kariya was outspoken regarding the culture of the league regarding excessive physicality, as well as the lack of deterrence. In an article from the Sporting News, he commented that "There's too much of a lack of respect players have for one another ... If the league wants to stop that kind of conduct, it will have to punish players ... Ten-game suspensions ... and more, have to be brought back to help wake up players." He also added that "There probably isn't a player in the league who hasn't had a concussion."
1998–2003
Fully recovered for the start of the 1998–99 season, Kariya returned to NHL play in October 1998. During a 3–2 loss against the Red Wings in November 1998, he put a team record 12 shots on goal. Kariya established several other Ducks records in the first half of the campaign, including a 17-game point-scoring streak on home ice that ended on January 15, 1999. He finished with the second 100-plus point season of his career with 39 goals and a personal best 62 assists. His assists total set a Ducks record that stood for 10 years until Ryan GetzlafRyan Getzlaf
Ryan Getzlaf is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is a centre and the captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . He grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and he played junior hockey with the Calgary Hitmen...
recorded 66 in 2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
. He ranked third in point-scoring among league scorers, behind Selanne and leader Jaromir Jagr
Jaromir Jagr
Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
of the Pittsburgh Penguins, while ranking first in the league with 429 shots on goal. Ranked sixth in the West, the Mighty Ducks drew the Red Wings in the opening round of the 1999 playoffs
1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, 1999, following the 1998–99 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
. In Game 3, Kariya blocked a shot with his skate, breaking his right foot. Unavailable for Game 4, the Ducks lost to the Red Wings and were eliminated. Prior to his injury, Kariya had a goal and four points over three games. Kariya's comeback season following injury was capped off with his third NHL First Team All-Star distinction, receiving 47 of the possible 58 first-place votes for the left-wing position from the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Kariya was also nominated for the league's Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. He lost the award to Tampa Bay Lightning forward John Cullen
John Cullen
John Cullen is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning. He was a standout player for Boston University and is the school's all-time leading scorer...
, who attempted to return to the NHL after missing the prevoius season with non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
The non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas. Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive....
. While Selanne finished as second runner-up for the Lady Byng Trophy, Kariya finished sixth in voting.
Having played the final year of his contract, Kariya agreed on a new three-year deal with the Ducks, reported to be worth between $32 and $33 million, during the ensuing summer. The contract was signed on June 30, 1999, one day before he was set to become a restricted free agent
Restricted free agent
A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
. In the three seasons that ensued, Kariya's offensive production decreased, a period that coincided with the Mighty Ducks failing to qualify for the playoffs each year.
During the 1999–2000 season, Kariya's younger brother Steve Kariya
Steve Kariya
Steven Tetsuo Kariya is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger and younger brother of retired National Hockey League player Paul Kariya.-Playing career:...
began playing for the Vancouver Canucks. On December 8, 1999, the Ducks and Canucks met for a contest, marking the first time that the brothers played against each other at any level. Steve recorded an assist on the Canucks' first goal of the game, before being called for a penalty. On the ensuing Ducks power play, Kariya scored to tie the game at a final score of 2–2. Later in the season, Kariya was speared by San Jose Sharks defenceman Bryan Marchment
Bryan Marchment
Bryan William Marchment is a former Canadian ice hockey defenceman. He spent his NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, Hartford Whalers, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames...
during a game in March 2000. Kariya was not injured on the play, though Marchment received a three-game suspension from the league. Kariya finished the season with the third-highest goals total of his career with 42, though his points total dipped to 86. Nevertheless, he ranked fourth in league-scoring, behind Jaromir Jagr, Pavel Bure and Mark Recchi
Mark Recchi
Mark Louis Recchi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 22 years in the National Hockey League , most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens...
. In the league's season-ending awards, Kariya was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team, having been outvoted for left wing on the First Team by Red Wings forward Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Frederick "Shanny" Shanahan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently serves as the National Hockey League's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry...
. He also ranked seventh in Lady Byng voting.
During pre-season play in September 2000, Kariya received a one-game suspension after slashing Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
player Aaron Gavey
Aaron Gavey
Aaron Gavey is a retired ice hockey player. He last played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga for the Kölner Haie .-Playing career:...
. He was able to serve the suspension during exhibition play. Several months into the 2000–01 season, Kariya suffered a broken right foot after blocking a shot from Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
defenceman Pavel Kubina
Pavel Kubina
Pavel Kubina is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman, and is currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning.-Playing career:Kubina started his professional career with HC Vítkovice of the Czech Extraliga...
during a game in December 2000. Missing 15 games, he returned to the lineup in late-January 2001. The Ducks struggled as a team while both Kariya and Selanne's paled in comparison to previous years. In March 2001, Selanne was traded to the San Jose Sharks, marking the end of his duo with Kariya. Despite he and Kariya's success playing with each other, the Ducks had advanced to the second round of the playoffs just once in their tenure together. While disappointed with the trade, Kariya later commented that with the tandem constituting nearly half of the Ducks' $39 million payroll, "If [he] were running the business, [he] would have done something too." Kariya finished the season with 67 points (33 goals and 34 assists) over 66 games. In addition to losing Selanne via trade, Kariya played the majority of the season without centre Steve Rucchin
Steve Rucchin
Steven Andrew Rucchin is a retired ice hockey centre who played for three teams in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.-Playing career:...
, who was suffering from post-concussion syndrome.
Without Selanne for a full season in 2001–02, Kariya's points total continued to decrease. During the opening month of the campaign, he went 10 consecutive game without a goal. Nevertheless, at mid-season, he was named to his sixth NHL All-Star Game in January 2002 (although it marked the first time he had been named to the All-Star Game without being voted in as a starter by fans). Kariya played on a line with Mario Lemieux and Joe Sakic
Joe Sakic
Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup twice, captured numerous NHL...
(a trio that remained intact two weeks later for the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...
) and notched an assist in an 8–5 victory for the North American All-Stars. Shortly thereafter, Kariya played in his 500th career NHL game, against the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, a contest in which he recorded a hat trick to lead his team to a 5–4 win. Though he finished with a team-leading 57 points over 82 games, the 2001–02 season marked Kariya's worst statistical year as a Duck and the third straight year his points total had decreased. The Ducks also suffered as a team, finishing with the third-worst record in the West. Losing fan support, the team drew the worst attendance in franchise history at home games during the season. During the season, he was often asked by reporters how long he was willing to remain with the Ducks while the franchise floundered. In the Canadian media especially, there was a widespread position that Kariya should be moved to a better club.
During the off-season, Kariya became a restricted free agent before re-signing with the Ducks to a one-year, $10 million contract in July 2002. Prior to the signing, the Ducks made two key acquisitions, signing playmaking centre Adam Oates
Adam Oates
Adam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
to a one-year deal and trading for winger Petr Sykora
Petr Sýkora
Petr Sýkora is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . Sýkora has previously played in the NHL for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild. He is a two-time Stanley Cup...
from the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Both acquisitions were made with Kariya's input, as well as with the expectation they would play on a line with him. Although Oates was injured at the beginning of the season (during which time Kariya played with his usual centre, Rucchin), the trio formed the Ducks' top line. Despite playing under a defensive system, implemented by new head coach Mike Babcock
Mike Babcock
Michael "Mike" Babcock, Jr. is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League and former player. He serves as head coach of the Red Wings. He also served as the head coach of Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver...
, the arrival of Kariya's new linemates coincided with a resurgence in offensive production for him in 2002–03. Several months into the campaign, however, his father died of a heart attack. The Ducks gave Kariya the option to sit out the following game against the Vancouver Canucks, which he played nonetheless on December 28, 2002. He recorded an assist in a 7–3 loss. At mid-season, Kariya was selected as a reserve to his seventh and final NHL All-Star Game, held in February 2003. He scored the deciding shootout goal for the Western Conference, as his team beat the East 6–5. While his 25 goals marked the lowest total of his career since his 22-game 1997–98 season, his 56 assists approached a personal best. With 81 points over 82 games, he led the Ducks in scoring for the fifth time. His efforts helped the Mighty Ducks to the seventh seed in the West, marking the team's return to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Matching up against the second-seeded Red Wings in the first round, Kariya opened the playoffs with a triple-overtime winner in Game 1, resulting in a 2–1 Ducks win. Anaheim went on to sweep the Red Wings in four games; Kariya scored his second goal of the series in the deciding contest, a 3–2 overtime win. It marked the second time in league history that a team eliminated the defending Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion in four straight games in the first round. The Mighty Ducks went on to eliminate the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
and Minnesota Wild in the next two rounds to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
2003 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2003 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the champion of the National Hockey League for the 2002–03 season...
for the first time in franchise history. During Game 6 of the series against New Jersey, a contest in which the Ducks faced elimination, Kariya received a hard open-ice hit from opposing defenceman Scott Stevens
Scott Stevens
Ronald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
. Laying motionless on the ice for several minutes, he needed to be helped to the dressing room. Many felt Kariya's equipment changes following his first concussion may have saved him from being rendered unconscious from the Stevens hit. Four-and-a-half minutes of playing time later, he returned to the game. Following his return, he scored on a slapshot while skating down the wing to give the Ducks a 4–1 lead. Anaheim went on to win the game 5–2 to force a Game 7; Kariya finished the contest with a goal and two assists. Reactions regarding Stevens' hit were divided following the game. Kariya told reporters that after looking at replays that Stevens had used his elbow, while Ducks coach Mike Babcock described it as a late hit. The play was not penalized during the game, however, and Stevens received no disciplinary measures from the league. Playing the deciding Game 7 in New Jersey, the Ducks lost the Stanley Cup by a 3–0 score. Over 21 games, Kariya finished third on the team in playoff scoring (behind Adam Oates and Petr Sýkora), scoring 6 goals and 12 points. Much of Anaheim's success was predicated on the performance of goaltender J. S. Giguere's performance, who awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
as playoff MVP. Kariya meanwhile was often singled out for his lack of consistent impact throughout the playoffs. As the highest-profile player on the Ducks, he drew matchups against opposing teams top defencemen during the post-season, such as Willie Mitchell against the Wild and Stevens against the Devils. He had also played part of the post-season with a separated shoulder.
Game 7 of the Finals marked Kariya's last game as a Mighty Duck. After nine seasons, he left Anaheim as the team's all-time leader in games played (606), goals (300), assists (369), points (669), short handed goals (16) and shots (2,455). His seven seasons as team captain also set a Ducks record. After Selanne returned to the Ducks in 2005, Kariya's marks in games played, goals, assists and points were all broken.
Colorado Avalanche
Following the Mighty Ducks' Stanley Cup run, Kariya became an unrestricted free agent in the off-season. With Kariya requiring a $10 million qualifying offer from Anaheim to remain the team, general manager Bryan Murray let him go to free agency. Murray went on record saying "We understand that he is an important player for the franchise...but when you are trying to build a team it's hard to have one player at $10 million when your payroll is the mid to low ($40 million range)." It was reported that the team had tried negotiating a longer-term deal with a decreased salary, while Murray told media at the time that he would remain in negotiations with Kariya to sign him for less. With former linemate Teemu Selanne also entering unrestricted free agency that summer after three years with the Sharks (he decided to opt out of his final year, valued at $6.5 million), the duo agreed to reunite and sign with the same team. Together, they approached the Colorado AvalancheColorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, having decided the team had the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup. On July 3, 2003, the Avalanche announced the signing of Kariya and Selanne to one-year contracts. In order for the team to afford both players, Kariya took an $8.8 million paycut from his $10 million salary with Anaheim the previous year, marking the highest decrease in compensation for a player in NHL history. At $1.2 million, his salary was below the NHL average, ensuring that he would have the freedom of unrestricted free agency at the end of the season. Selanne, meanwhile, signed for $5.8 million. Their deals were partially facilitated by goaltender Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy
Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...
's retirement, which freed up $8.5 million in salary.
Kariya and Selanne joined an already highly offensive Avalanche team that included such forwards as Joe Sakic
Joe Sakic
Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup twice, captured numerous NHL...
, Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk
Milan Hejduk
Milan Hejduk is a Czech professional ice hockey forward and the captain for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
and Alex Tanguay
Alex Tanguay
Alexandre Tanguay is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently with the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He has additionally played with the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL and briefly for HC Lugano in the Swiss National League A in...
. Despite high expectations for the duo's reunion, Kariya and Selanne both struggled in their sole years with Colorado. After beginning the 2003–04 season on a line with Selanne centred by Joe Sakic, Kariya suffered a sprained right wrist in a game against the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
on October 21, 2003. After being sidelined for 10 games, he returned in mid-November, but re-injured his wrist in his first contest back. Due to the injury, Kariya missed playing against the Ducks for the first time in a home game on November 18. Still recovering a month later, he remained sidelined for a return to Anaheim's Arrowhead Pond on December 20. Kariya's departure from the Ducks drew criticism from his previous team's fans. In anticipation of the Avalanche-Ducks game on December 20, Anaheim fans began a fund that raised over $1,200 to be given to the favourite charity of the Ducks player who scores the game-winning goal against Colorado. The idea was precipitated by reports that Kariya had given Selanne $3,000 for scoring the game-winning goal against the Ducks on November 18 (it is an informal tradition in the NHL for players to offer rewards to teammates who score against former teams). Kariya returned to the Avalanche lineup in time for their next game against the Ducks on January 13, 2004, at the Pepsi Center
Pepsi Center
Pepsi Center is a multi-purpose arena in Denver, Colorado, United States. The building is home to the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League...
. He scored one goal in a 3–1 win. Later that month, he played his first game against the Ducks in Anaheim on January 30. Booed every time he touched puck, he recorded two assists, as the Avalanche lost 4–3 in overtime. Limited by injuries, Kariya scored below his career pace with 11 goals and 36 points over 51 games. Selanne recorded 32 points, while playing in 78 games. In the final game of the regular season, Kariya injured his right ankle against the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
on April 4. As a team, Colorado lost their division for the first time in nine years to the Vancouver Canucks. Qualifying for the 2004 playoffs
2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League began on April 7, 2004, following the 2003–04 regular season. The playoffs ended with the Tampa Bay Lightning securing the Stanley Cup with a seven-game series win over the Calgary Flames on June 7. It was Tampa Bay's first Stanley Cup...
as the fourth seed in the West, they lost in the second round to the Sharks. Kariya returned to the Colorado lineup in time for Game 6 against the Sharks, recording an assist as the Avalanche were eliminated by a score of 3–1.
Nashville Predators
Due to the NHL lockout, Kariya was professionally inactive for the 2004–05 season, using the time to recover from several nagging injuries. He incorrectly predicted that the dispute would last "a year-and-a-half [or] two years," as the players and owners agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement in July 2005. With NHL play set to resume for the 2005–06 season, Kariya became an unrestricted free agent in August 2005. Entertaining offers from 10 different teams, Kariya signed a two-year, $9 million contract with the Nashville Predators on August 5, 2005, making him the highest-paid player in team history. Four days later, he was officially introduced as a member of the Predators at a news conference. Predators general manager David PoileDavid Poile
David Poile is the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the NHL's Nashville Predators....
heralded the acquisition as "unquestionably the biggest signing in [the] club's history." He ultimately chose the Predators for their style of play emphasizing skating and speed. Following the lockout, the NHL adopted several rule changes meant to benefit fast and skilled players such as Kariya. He was one of many NHL players who had publicly spoken out regarding the league's failed attempts in the past to reduce obstruction. During an earlier league-sponsored conference call with the media, Kariya criticized league rules, stating "As an offensive player, I'm going through the neutral zone, and I have a player tugging me the whole way. If I don't go down, I'm not going to get a call because they are not going to make the call." Having come off the worst statistical season of his career in 2003–04, Kariya was admittedly looking to have a bounce-back season.
During the Predators' training camp in September 2005, Kariya suffered separate ankle and groin injuries that limited his participation in team practices and pre-season games. Recovering in time for the season-opener, he debuted with the Predators on October 5, 2005, at home against the San Jose Sharks. Early in the game, Kariya was routinely cheered by fans when he touched the puck. Trailing 2–1 in the third period, he scored on goaltender Evgeni Nabokov
Evgeni Nabokov
Evgeni Viktorovich Nabokov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender who is playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League .Nabokov was selected by San Jose in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft...
to the tie the game, en route to a 3–2 win. The following game, Kariya participated in his first NHL shootout (the tie-breaker was newly implemented by the league for the 2005–06 season) after the Predators remained tied with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 2–2 following overtime. The last of three shooters for the Predators, Kariya was the lone player to score in the shootout, leading Nashville to a 3–2 win. The two wins helped Nashville go undefeated in their first eight games, two wins shy of the league's record for consecutive victories to start a season. On April 18, 2006, the last day of the regular season, Kariya scored a hat trick against the Detroit Red Wings in a 6–3 win, helping the Predators secure the fourth seed in the Western Conference. In his first season with Nashville, Kariya set team records with 31 goals, 54 assists and 85 points. His 14 power play goals also tied defenceman Andy Delmore
Andy Delmore
Andrew Delmore is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for Lørenskog IK of the Norwegian GET-ligaen. In his 283 NHL games, Delmore has recorded 43 goals and 58 assists, totalling 101 points...
's team record set in 2002–03, while his 245 shots came within three of Cliff Ronning
Cliff Ronning
Clifford John Ronning is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 7th round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, 134th overall...
's mark set in 1998–99. With five shootout goals over seven attempts, Kariya ranked fourth in the NHL in shootout scoring percentage at 71.4% (among players who had taken at least five attempts). On a team basis, the Predators set franchise records with 49 wins and 106 points, ranking fourth in the West. Matching up against the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2006 playoffs
2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 21, 2006, following the 2005–06 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, seeded one through eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the conference quarterfinals...
, Kariya opened the post-season with four assists in Game 1 to lead Nashville to a 4–3 win. After taking Game 1, the Predators went on to lose the next four contests and were eliminated from the playoffs. The team was markedly weakened for the playoffs with starting goaltender Tomas Vokoun
Tomas Vokoun
Tomáš Vokoun is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
unavailable due to injury and Kariya's linemate Steve Sullivan
Steve Sullivan
Steve Sullivan is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . He has also played for the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators....
playing hurt. Kariya had two goals and seven points over the series.
After the Predators' regular season success in 2005–06, the team bolstered their lineup by acquiring centre Jason Arnott
Jason Arnott
Jason William Arnott is a professional ice hockey centre for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. He began his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers in 1993–94 after being selected seventh overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team...
and winger J. P. Dumont. In response to Arnott's signing, Kariya commented that the centre position, as well as size, were weaknesses for the team the previous year, especially when they matched up against the Sharks' top two centres, Joe Thornton
Joe Thornton
Joseph Eric Thornton is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League . He was selected first overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play seven seasons with the club, five as its Captain. During the...
and Patrick Marleau
Patrick Marleau
Patrick Denis Marleau is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. He serves as the alternate captain for the Sharks during home games...
, in the playoffs. Leading up to the 2006–07 season, the Predators were picked by many analysts in the media (including those from The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
) to contend for the Stanley Cup. Prior to the start of the campaign, the Predators announced defenceman Kimmo Timonen
Kimmo Timonen
Kimmo Timonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenseman and an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
as the team's new captain, while naming Kariya and Steve Sullivan as alternates (the two served in that role the previous season, as well, but not on a permanent basis). With Kariya leading the team in scoring, the team boasted the top record in the league by the All-Star break. At the NHL trade deadline
NHL trade deadline
The National Hockey League's trade deadline is a date set by the NHL league office after which no trades are allowed for the remainder of the season. The deadline for the 2011–12 NHL season is set for February 27, 2012 at 3 pm EST. Prior to the current CBA, the trade deadline date had been in...
, the team further bolstered their lineup by acquiring high-profile centre Peter Forsberg from the Flyers. Forsberg joined Kariya on the top line, though not consistently. With 76 points (24 goals and 52 assists) – the second highest total in team history – over 82 games, Kariya led the Predators in scoring for a second straight year. His seven shootout goals (over 11 attempts) tied for second in the league, one behind Erik Christensen
Erik Christensen
Erik Christensen is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Predators continued to improve and finished with a new team record of 51 wins and 110 points. Despite ranking as the second-best team in the West, Nashville seeded fourth in their conference (divisional winners within the conference take the top three seeds; Detroit beat the Predators by there points in the Central Division
Central Division (NHL)
The NHL's Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Norris Division.The Central Division consists of the Western Conference's easternmost teams.-Current lineup:...
). Playing against the San Jose Sharks for the second consecutive year, the Predators were once again eliminated in five games. Kariya struggled with two assists during the series.
During the off-season, Predators owner Craig Leipold
Craig Leipold
Craig Leipold is an American businessman. He is known for owning two professional ice hockey teams in the National Hockey League. He formerly owned the Nashville Predators and is the majority owner of the Minnesota Wild...
put the team up for sale; two of the leading candidates to buy the franchise both had plans to relocate the team. With Kariya's contract expiring, he chose not to re-sign with Nashville, citing the team's uncertain future.
St. Louis Blues
On July 1, 2007, Kariya signed a three-year contract worth $18 million with the St. Louis BluesSt. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
. In similar fashion to his signing with Nashville, his arrival in St. Louis marked one of the team's first notable free agent acquisitions in a while (arguably since the team signed Brendan Shanahan in 1991). While the Predators were a team on the rise when he joined them, the Blues had contrastingly missed the playoffs in the previous two seasons.
Although Blues winger Jay McClement
Jay McClement
-International:-External links:...
was in possession of the jersey number 9 upon Kariya's arrival in the off-season, he surrendered it so Kariya could retain his usual number. Assigned as an alternate captain for the team, Kariya rotated the position with Keith Tkachuk
Keith Tkachuk
Keith Matthew Tkachuk is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.- Playing career :Tkachuk began...
, and Barret Jackman
Barret Jackman
Barret Jackman is a Canadian ice hockey defenseman and alternate captain for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Jackman was selected by the St...
throughout the 2008–09 season
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
. Kariya debuted with the team on October 4, 2007, registering an assist in a 3–2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. After recording six assists in his first four games as a Blue, Kariya scored his first goal with St. Louis on October 17, 2007, in a 3–1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Two months later, Kariya recorded his 10th career hat trick against the Dallas Stars on December 29, scoring the Blues' final three goals, including the game-tying marker with 10 seconds remaining in regulation. He was stopped in the shootout, however, by Mike Smith as the Stars won the game 5–4. With the hat trick, Kariya reached the 900-point mark in his NHL career. Despite a decrease in offensive production, Kariya tied winger Brad Boyes
Brad Boyes
Bradley Keith Boyes is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League ....
for the team lead in scoring with 65 points (16 goals and 49 assists) over 82 games. The Blues finished with the second-worst record in the Western Conference with 33 wins and 79 points.
A month into 2008–09 season
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, Kariya suffered a hip injury after being hit from behind in a game against the Anaheim Ducks on November 5, 2008, tearing muscle fibers near the top his left thigh. The injury was initially undisclosed at the time and was erroneously reported as having resulted from a blocked shot. At the time of the injury, he had 15 points (2 goals and 13 assists) over 11 games, tying him for sixth in league scoring. After nearly two months of recovery, he began practicing with the Blues, but had a setback in late-December; a subsequent MRI exam revealed additional hip damage. Undergoing surgery for a torn acetabular labrum
Acetabular labrum
The acetabular labrum is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the acetabulum ....
on January 5, 2009, the team listed him as sidelined indefinitely, while team president John Davidson told reporters he might be back late that season or the next. The following month, another MRI revealed a torn labrum in the opposite side of his hip, as well, requiring a second surgery. Despite the loss of Kariya, the Blues made the playoffs for the first time since 2004. With the Blues matching up against the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, Kariya began practicing with the team in hopes of a comeback for the playoffs. He told reporters that he felt "stronger that [he had]...since 1999." The Blues were swept in four games however, before Kariya could return.
Fully recovered by the start of the 2009–10 season
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
, Kariya made his return to the Blues lineup on October 2, 2009, a game played in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. He scored two goals in a 4–3 win against the Detroit Red Wings. On March 18, 2010, Kariya scored the 400th goal of his NHL career, against the New York Rangers. A week later, he recorded the 402nd and final goal of his career, in a 3–1 win against the Los Angeles Kings. Kariya played his last NHL game on April 10, 2010, against his former team, the Nashville Predators. With the Blues trailing by one goal in the third period, Kariya helped set up David Backes
David Backes (ice hockey)
David Anthony Backes is an American professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League ....
' game-tying goal, marking his 25th assist of the season and final point of his career. The Blues went on to lose the game 2–1 in a shootout.
During his last season in the NHL, the league began expanding their efforts to eliminate hits to the head with new rules and stiffer penalties. League officials also began looking to penalize "blindside hits", defined as a bodycheck against a player from the side, where he cannot see the ensuing player coming. At the time, Kariya called the pending rule changes "long overdue", adding that "hav[ing] been through so much with that...It's something that should've been in place years and years ago."
With his contract expiring in the off-season, Teemu Selanne, who had since returned to the Ducks, was reportedly in talks with team management to sign Kariya. However, on August 27, 2010, on the advice of doctors who refused to clear him to play, Kariya announced that he would sit out the 2010-11 season
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
with post-concussion syndrome. After the symptoms failed to subside, Kariya officially announced his retirement from the NHL on June 29, 2011. He continued to be outspoken regarding the prevalence of concussions among hockey players; in an interview with the Globe and Mail, he commented "The thing I worry about is that you'll get a guy who is playing with a concussion, and he gets hit, and he dies at centre ice."
International career
In the summer of 1991, Kariya joined the Canadian Under-18 Selects Team at the Phoenix Cup, the inaugural tournament of what would go on to become the Ivan Hlinka Memorial TournamentIvan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament is an annual event held each August for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. Unsanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation , the tournament is not granted official status by the sport's governing body...
. Kariya led all scorers with 10 points in six games while being named to the Tournament All-Star Team. Canada won the silver medal, losing out to the Soviet Union.
The following year, he moved up to the Canadian Under-20 Team for the 1992 World Junior Championships
1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 16th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held from December 26, 1991 until January 4, 1992. It was held in Füssen and Kaufbeuren, Germany...
in Germany. The youngest player on the team, he recorded a goal and an assist over six games as Canada finished in sixth place. Playing in the tournament a second consecutive year in 1993
1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 17th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Gävle, Sweden. Canada won the gold medal, its sixth championship, while Sweden won silver, and the combined team of the Czech and Slovak Republics won bronze...
, Kariya improved to two goals and eight points over seven games, ranking second in team-scoring behind Martin Lapointe
Martin Lapointe
Martin Lapointe is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks.-Playing career:...
. Helping Canada to a record of six winsand one loss, they tied Sweden for first overall in the standings, but won the gold medal by way of their 5–4 win against them in their second game. The championship marked Kariya's first international gold medal and began a streak of five consecutive gold medals for Canada at the tournament. He was named to the Tournament All-Star Team, alongside Canadian goaltender Manny Legace
Manny Legacé
Emmanuel Legace, is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League. He most recently played in the National Hockey League for the Carolina Hurricanes. He has also played in the National Hockey League for the Los...
and defenceman Brent Tully. Nearly 10 years later, The Sports Network
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
held a fan-voted poll on the internet to select Canada's all-time World Junior team. The poll garnered in excess of 350,000 votes with Kariya chosen as one of 13 forwards on the team.
Four months later, in April 1993, Kariya debuted with the Canadian men's team in the IIHF World Championships
1993 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
- Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 9-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Switzerland was relegated to Group B.- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :...
, held in Germany. At 18 years and 6 months, he became the youngest player in Canadian history to play at the tournament. He scored nine points in eight games, as Canada finished in fourth place.
Later that year, in December 1993, Kariya left his college team, the Maine Black Bears, to join the Canadian national team in preparation for the 1994 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics was held at the Fjellhallen in Gjøvik and the Håkons Hall in Lillehammer, Norway. The competition, held from February 12 to February 27, was won by Sweden and Canada as runner-up.-Final rankings:Source:* Gold -...
in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. At the start of the tournament, Canada was seeded seventh overall and were not considered favourites to do well. Playing on a line with Chris Kontos
Chris Kontos
Christopher T. Kontos is a former National Hockey League forward who is best known for his surprising 9 goals in 11 playoff games while he was a member of the Los Angeles Kings and his shocking franchise opening night 4 goal performance against that season's Vezina Trophy winner Ed Belfour.During...
and Petr Nedved
Petr Nedved
Petr Nedvěd is a Czech Canadian professional ice hockey player who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League. He currently plays centre for HC Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga.- Biography :...
, Kariya led his team in scoring with 3 goals and 7 points over 8 games, helping Canada to a silver medal. Tied with the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
2–2 in the quartefinal, Kariya scored the game-winning goal after 16 minutes of overtime play to help the Canadians advance. In the gold medal game, Kariya scored the first goal as Canada went on to lose 3–2 in a shootout to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. With a chance to tie the shootout after Swedish forward Peter Forsberg scored, Swedish goaltender Tommy Salo
Tommy Salo
Tommy Mikael Salo is a Swedish General Manager of Swedish ice hockey club Leksands IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan. He is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender and a former head coach of IK Oskarshamn.-Playing career:...
stopped Kariya with a glove save.
Two months later, Kariya joined Team Canada for the 1994 Men's World Championships
1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
- Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He was the lone player on the team to have continued on from the Olympics, as well as the youngest, while playing on a line with Jason Arnott
Jason Arnott
Jason William Arnott is a professional ice hockey centre for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. He began his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers in 1993–94 after being selected seventh overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team...
and Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Frederick "Shanny" Shanahan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently serves as the National Hockey League's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry...
. During round-robin play, he netted a hat trick against Austria in a 6–1 win. In the quarterfinal, he added a goal and an assist in a win over the Czech Republic. Canada advanced to the final, where they defeated Finland 2–1 to capture the gold medal. It marked the first championship at the tournament for Canada in 33 years. Kariya finished the tournament with a team-high 5 goals and 12 points over 8 games and received Best Forward and All-Star Team honours (on the latter, he was joined by Canadian goaltender Bill Ranford
Bill Ranford
William Edward Ranford is a former professional ice hockey goaltender and current goaltending coach for the Los Angeles Kings. He graduated from New Westminster Secondary School in 1985. He was selected in the third round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, 52nd overall, by the Boston Bruins...
. With his success at the 1994 Winter Olympics and World Championships, Wayne Gretzky heralded Kariya as the next NHL superstar.
In January 1996, Kariya finished as a runner-up to Wayne Gretzky for the inaugural Jean Beliveau Award, an annual distinction from Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
for players who have demonstrated "outstanding playing ability and international experience while maintaining the fundamentals of sportsmanship and fair play. Unlike most annual awards, the distinction did not take into account players' performances in the prior year, but their contributions on a career-basis. The initial three nominees were chosen by a selection committee, while the winner was determined by fan vote. Randy Gregg was the other nominee.
Following his second NHL season, Kariya was named to Canada's team for the 1996 World Championships
1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
- Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Austria was relegated to Group B.- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :...
in Vienna, Austria. During the round-robin, he scored a hat trick against the United States, helping Canada to a 5–1 win, qualifying them for the quarterfinals. During their semifinal against Russia, Kariya scored in the shootout to help Canada to a 3–2 win. Advancing to the gold medal game, they lost 4–2 to the Czech Republic. Kariya finished the competition with four goals and seven points over eight games, earning him a spot as Canada's lone representative on the Tournament's First All-Star Team. Over three World Championship appearances, Kariya recorded 28 points (11 goals and 17 assists) over 24 games, which at the time, ranked him at third all-time among Canadian scorers, behind Steve Yzerman
Steve Yzerman
Stephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
's 39 points and Marcel Dionne
Marcel Dionne
Marcel Elphege "Little Beaver" Dionne is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers...
's 32.
Prior to the World Championships, Canada also named Kariya to their team for the 1996 World Cup
1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey ....
, which was held in August and September. However, Kariya was kept from competing due to a groin inflammation. During a news conference
News conference
A news conference or press conference is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions. A joint press conference instead is held between two or more talking sides.-Practice:...
, he called his withdrawal the "biggest disappointment of [his] hockey career." The World Cup would have marked his first international appearance in a best-on-best
Best-on-best
"Best-on-best" is an ice hockey term describing a competition that involves most of the elite level of players as possible. Usually it refers to an international men's tournament that allows professional players.-History:...
tournament, as the competition did not interfere with the Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
as the World Championships did. Kariya was replaced in the lineup by New York Rangers winger Adam Graves
Adam Graves
Adam Graves is a former professional hockey player. He is best-known for his ten-year tenure with the New York Rangers. He also played for the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, and San Jose Sharks...
. Canada went on to finish as runner-up to the United States in the tournament.
In June 1997, Kariya was again nominated for the Jean Beliveau Award, alongside Gregg, but lost to Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
.
Four years after his first Olympic appearance as an amateur, the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to...
in Nagano, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, were set to become the first Games in which NHL players could compete in ice hockey. While Kariya was involved in a contract dispute with the Mighty Ducks, causing him to miss the start of the 1997–98 NHL season, Hockey Canada contacted Kariya, asking him to provide a training regimen by December 1, 1997, ensuring that he would be physically ready to play in the Olympics, given his inactivity in the NHL. Before agreeing to a contract with the Ducks in December, he joined the Canadian national team in training. On November 29, 1997, Canadian general manager Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team...
announced his roster for the Games, which included Kariya. He was the second-youngest player named to the team, behind defenceman Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger
Christopher Robert Pronger is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Originally selected 2nd overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Pronger has played for Hartford, the St...
, who was born six days earlier. Less than a month to go before the start of the tournament, held in February 1998, he suffered a concussion, resulting from an on-ice crosscheck to the head from Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
defenceman Gary Suter
Gary Suter
Gary Lee Suter is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He played his junior hockey for the Dubuque Fighting Saints, high school hockey at Culver Military Academy and then moved on to the University of Wisconsin–Madison...
. The hit received much publicity as Suter, a member of the United States' national team, was accused by many in the media, as well as Canadian general manager Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team...
for targeting Kariya specifically in order to sideline him for the Olympics. He again described the missed opportunity as the "biggest disappointment of [his] career," adding that he was looking forward to playing in Japan, having family there.
Leading up to the next Winter Olympics, Kariya was chosen as one of eight initial players to Canada's roster on March 23, 2001. Playing on the top line with Mario Lemieux, Kariya scored three goals and one assist over six games, tying for fourth in Canadian point-scoring. He registered his first goal of the tournament in Canada's second game, a 3–2 win against Germany. His second came against Belarus in the semi-final, qualifying Canada for the gold medal game. Playing the United States in the final, Kariya scored Canada's first goal of the game, tying the score at 1 in the first period. Canada went on to win 5–2, capturing their first Olympic gold medal since 1952. Canada's roster was later inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame under the team category on March 26, 2009, during a ceremony in Vancouver.
Despite Kariya's success with Canada at the 2002 Olympics, he had come off the worst statistical season of his career prior to the national team's summer development camp in preparation for the 2006 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...
. His omission was singled out by the media; general manager Wayne Gretzky, who selected the camp's participants, explained publicly, "Paul is a great player, but at some point you have to have a cutoff," while also asserting that he had spoken to Kariya personally regarding the situation. After a strong start to the 2005–06 NHL season, Kariya was one of 49 forwards chosen in October 2005 to Canada's preliminary list of players to be selected from for the final roster. When the team was announced in December 2005, however, he was not chosen.
During his career, Kariya became involved with Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
off the ice, as well. In the late-1990's he joined the organization as a national spokesperson with women's team forward Jayna Hefford
Jayna Hefford
Jayna Hefford is a women's ice hockey player. Hefford played forward for the Canadian women's team at the Winter Olympics in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010...
for the Initiation Program, promoting a safe and positive experience for children first becoming involved with hockey.
Playing style
Kariya was known for his skilled and entertaining style of play. An offensive player, he was a fast skater with strong puck-handling and passing abilities. Prior to and early in his NHL career, Kariya drew comparisons to Wayne Gretzky. During the 1994 Winter Olympics, American head coach Tim Taylor likened his skating and playmaking ability to Gretzky's, while Kariya's linemate, Chris Kontos, described his on-ice vision as "Gretzky-like". Canadian head coach Tom RenneyTom Renney
Thomas Renney is a Canadian ice hockey Head Coach for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League . He has previously coached the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks....
heralded him as "think[ing] and play[ing] at a better speed than anybody else," adding that his teammates "are usually a half-step behind him." His speed made him particularly adept in international competition, as games were played on a larger ice surface in comparison to the NHL. Following his first NHL goal against the Winnipeg Jets, opposing coach John Paddock
John Paddock
Alvin John Paddock is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the former head coach of the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . During his long career in the American Hockey League he won five Calder Cup championships and was inducted into the AHL's Hall...
told reporters, "like with Gretzky the puck seems to following him around... It looks like he's cherry-picking, but he's not. That's just great instinct." Kariya himself vcited Gretzky, as well as Brett Hull, Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Shaffer "J.R." Roenick is a former American professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League . He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks over the course of his 18 NHL...
and Pavel Bure as players he liked patterning his game after. Kariya was also recognized for his "hockey sense" and the cerebral aspect of his game, which included analyzing the game at a high level. His first NHL coach, Ron Wilson, also once described Kariya as "the hardest-working athlete [he's] ever been associated with".
While recognized primarily as a playmaker leading up to his NHL career, Kariya was forced into shooting more as the Mighty Ducks lacked scorers in his first two seasons with the team. During his third NHL season, he commented that "If Teemu [Selanne] had been here right off the bat, then maybe I wouldn't have focused so much on shooting." Kariya was able to put many shots on goal due to his quick release. In 1998–99, he led the league with 429 shots on goal, which at the time was the second-highest recorded total in NHL history. Nonetheless maintaining his passing ability, Kariya was particularly adept at making plays from deep in the offensive zone and beside the opposing team's net.
Personal life
Kariya was born in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, to parents Tetsuhiko and Sharon Kariya. His father, a Japanese-Canadian born in a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
internment camp, worked as a math teacher. Tetsuhiko died from a heart attack suffered on December 27, 2002. Kariya's mother, a Scottish-Canadian, was also a teacher. Coming from an athletic family, his father played rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
with the Canadian national team
Canada national rugby team
Canada national rugby team may refer to:* Canada national rugby league team, represents Canada at rugby league, nicknamed the Mounties* Canada national rugby union team, represents Canada at rugby union, including at the Rugby World Cup...
. Kariya is one of four siblings that play professional sports. Brothers Steve
Steve Kariya
Steven Tetsuo Kariya is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger and younger brother of retired National Hockey League player Paul Kariya.-Playing career:...
and Martin
Martin Kariya
Martin Tetsuya Kariya is a professional ice hockey right winger for HC Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss Hockey League.-Amateur:...
are also hockey players. His sister, Noriko, played hockey, as well, before turning to boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
.
As a teenager, Kariya worked for a summer in construction. At age 16, he left home to play Junior A hockey
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
in Penticton, British Columbia
Penticton, British Columbia
Penticton is a city in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan and Skaha Lakes. Its 2010 population was 37,721 .-Name origin:...
, where he also worked at a clothing store that belonged to the team's coach and general manager. Two years later, he enrolled at the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
to join the school's hockey team and was a dean's list
Dean's List
A Dean's List is a category of students in a college or university who achieve high grades during their stay in an academic term or academic year. In secondary schools, or high schools, the term Consistent Honor List or Honor Roll is more common, but Dean's List and Consistent Honor List are...
student. During his rookie NHL season, Kariya lived in the Anaheim area with a family that was close friend with Mighty Ducks head coach Ron Wilson. Following his departure from the Ducks in 2003, he maintained a summer home in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. With a background in competitive swimming as a child, he became an avid surfer in the area.
As captain of the Mighty Ducks, Kariya made a cameo appearance in Disney's D3: The Mighty Ducks
D3: The Mighty Ducks
D3: The Mighty Ducks is the third film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy. It was produced by Avnet–Kerner Productions and Walt Disney Pictures, distributed by Buena Vista Distribution, and originally released to movie theaters on October 4, 1996.-Plot:The film opens with team captain Charlie Conway and...
movie, which was released in October 1996.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1992–93 | Maine Black Bears | HE Hockey East Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference.... |
39 | 25 | 75 | 100 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Maine Black Bears | HE | 12 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
47 | 18 | 21 | 39 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 82 | 50 | 58 | 108 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 69 | 44 | 55 | 99 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 4 | ||
| 1997–98 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 22 | 17 | 14 | 31 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 82 | 39 | 62 | 101 | 40 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1999–00 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 74 | 42 | 44 | 86 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 66 | 33 | 34 | 67 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 82 | 32 | 25 | 57 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 82 | 25 | 56 | 81 | 48 | 21 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
NHL | 51 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | Nashville Predators Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 82 | 31 | 54 | 85 | 40 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 82 | 24 | 52 | 76 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2007–08 | St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade... |
NHL | 82 | 16 | 49 | 65 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
St. Louis Blues | NHL | 11 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
St. Louis Blues | NHL | 75 | 18 | 25 | 43 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 989 | 402 | 587 | 989 | 399 | 46 | 16 | 23 | 39 | 12 | ||||
| HE totals | 51 | 33 | 91 | 124 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Canada U18 Hockey Canada Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions... |
Phoenix Cup Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament is an annual event held each August for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. Unsanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation , the tournament is not granted official status by the sport's governing body... |
5 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 2 | |
| 1992 1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 16th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held from December 26, 1991 until January 4, 1992. It was held in Füssen and Kaufbeuren, Germany... |
Canada U20 | WJC | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1993 1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 17th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Gävle, Sweden. Canada won the gold medal, its sixth championship, while Sweden won silver, and the combined team of the Czech and Slovak Republics won bronze... |
Canada U20 | WJC | 7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | |
| 1993 1993 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 9-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Switzerland was relegated to Group B.- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
Canada | WC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1994 Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics was held at the Fjellhallen in Gjøvik and the Håkons Hall in Lillehammer, Norway. The competition, held from February 12 to February 27, was won by Sweden and Canada as runner-up.-Final rankings:Source:* Gold -... |
Canada | Oly. 1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat... |
8 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1994 1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
Canada | WC | 8 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 2 | |
| 1996 1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Austria was relegated to Group B.- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
Canada | WC | 8 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2002 Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:... |
Canada | Oly. 2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout... |
6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | |
| Int'l totals | 51 | 20 | 29 | 49 | 10 | |||
Awards
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| BCHL (Interior Conference) | |
| Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year) | 1991 |
| Bob Fenton Trophy (most sportsmanlike player) | 1991, 1992 |
| Vern Dye Memorial Trophy (most valuable player) | 1991, 1992 |
| Canadian Junior A Player of the Year | 1992 |
| Hockey East | |
| All-Rookie Team | 1993 |
| First All-Star Team | 1993 |
| Rookie of the Year | 1993 |
| Player of the Year | 1993 |
| Lamoriello Trophy (league championship; with Maine Black Bears) | 1993 |
| NCAA | |
| Hobey Baker Award Hobey Baker Award The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St... (most outstanding player) |
1993 |
| National championship (with Maine Black Bears) | 1993 1993 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament involved 12 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college ice hockey. It began on March 26, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 3... |
| East First All-American Team | 1993 |
| Tournament All-American Team | 1993 |
| NHL | |
| All-Rookie Team NHL All-Rookie Team The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year... |
1995 |
| First All-Star Team NHL All-Star Team The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are... |
1996, 1997, 1999 |
| Second All-Star Team | 2000, 2003 |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy Lady Byng Memorial Trophy The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability"... (most sportsmanlike player) |
1996, 1997 |
| NHL All-Star Game | 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 |
| Skills Competition Puck Control Champion | 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 |
| International | |
| World Junior Championship All-Star Team | 1993 |
| World Junior Championship gold medal (with Canada) | 1993 |
| World Championship Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... All-Star Team |
1994 1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... , 1996 1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Austria was relegated to Group B.- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
| World Championship gold medal (with Canada) | 1994 |
| Winter Olympic gold medal | 2002 |
Records
- Anaheim Ducks record; most overtime goals, single season – 3 in 1995–96
- Anaheim Ducks record; highest plus-minus, single season – +36 in 1996–97
- Anaheim Ducks record; most shots, single season – 429 in 1998–99
- Anaheim Ducks record; longest tenured captain – 8 years from 1996–2003
- Nashville Predators record; most assists, single season – 54 in 2005–06
- Nashville Predators record; most points, single season – 85 in 2005–06
- Most Puck Control Relay wins at NHL SkillsCompetitionNHL All-Star Game SuperSkills CompetitionThe NHL All-Star Game SuperSkills Competition, originally known as the National Hockey League All-Star Skills Competition, is an event on the night preceding the All-Star Game. Started at the 41st National Hockey League All-Star Game in Pittsburgh in 1990, the NHL uses the event to showcase the...
– 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002