Paul Kariya

Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya (born October 16, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who was a winger for 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Known as a speedy and intelligent offensive force with exceptional vision, he played in the NHL for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues between 1995 and 2010.

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 University of Maine's Black Bears men's ice hockey team. In his freshman year, he received the Hobey Baker Award, while he and fellow Hobey Baker Award finalist Jim Montgomery teamed to lead the Black Bears to the 1993 NCAA title. Selected fourth overall in the 1993 NHL entry draft by the Mighty Ducks, he joined the team in 1995 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 runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1997. He won back-to-back Lady Byng trophies in 1996 and 1997 for his skillful play and exemplary sportsmanship. 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, reuniting with Selänne, who had previously been traded away from Anaheim, Kariya signed with the Predators in August 2005. He played two seasons in Nashville, setting a team record for points scored in a single-season in 2005–06 (since broken). 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 concussions, which eventually forced his retirement in June 2011 after sitting out the 2010–11 season because of post-concussion syndrome. In June 2017, Kariya was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. His number, 9, was retired by the Ducks on October 21, 2018.

Early life and education Kariya was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, to parents Sharon and Tetsuhiko (T.K.) Kariya. His father, a Japanese-Canadian born in a World War II internment camp at Greenwood, British Columbia, 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. Two years later, he enrolled at the University of Maine to join the school's hockey team and was a dean's list student.

Playing career Amateur Kariya played two seasons of Junior A 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.#tag:ref|Both trophies are awarded to a player from each of the league's two conferences. Greg Hadden of the New Westminster Royals earned the Vern Dye Memorial Trophy for the Coastal Conference, while Jay McNeill of the Powell River Kings earned the Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy for the Coastal Conference. 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;#tag:ref|Jay McNeill won the award for the Coastal Conference. His WHL rights originally belonged to the Victoria Cougars before they were traded to the Tri-City Americans in October 1991.#tag:ref|Victoria sent Kariya's rights, along with defenceman Todd Harris, to Tri-City in exchange for wingers Fran DeFrenza and David Hebky, as well as defencemen Jeff Fancy and Jamie Burt.

In his first year with the Black Bears, Kariya scored 100 points (25 goals and 75 assists) in 39 games. Nationally, Kariya 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, one loss and two 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.

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 NHL'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, Kariya 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. However, with Imes joining the United States' national team full-time in 1993–94, 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. He finished the season with seven goals and 41 points over 23 games with the national team, as well as eight goals and 24 points over 12 games with Maine.

Five years after his tenure with the Black Bears, Kariya was inducted into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony on October 15, 1999. Two years later, in July 2001, Kariya's number 9 was retired by the Black Bears.

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 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 he would instead play in Europe. It was reported Kariya was seeking a US$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.

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 National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA).

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. During his rookie season, he played on a line with Stéphan Lebeau and Shaun Van Allen. Playing in 47 games, Kariya finished the season with a team-leading 18 goals and 39 points. Nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year, Kariya lost the award to Forsberg. Despite being edged out, Kariya was 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 All-Star Game, the only Ducks representative. At the time of his selection, in January 1996, he was ranked 14th in NHL 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, in a move that was designed to increase team offense. Selänne was immediately placed on Kariya's line, and the two wingers formed one of the NHL'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 scored his 50th goal of the season, scoring twice in the final game of the campaign, a 5–2 win over Winnipeg. 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 Selänne for seventh overall in NHL scoring. His three overtime goals set a team record. With 20 penalty minutes over 82 games, Kariya won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player and was also named to the season-ending NHL first All-Star team. At age 21, he was the youngest active captain in the NHL and remained so until Bryan McCabe became captain of the New York Islanders two years later.

As the ensuing 1996–97 season began, Kariya was out of the lineup with a pulled abdominal muscle and missed the first 11 games of the season; he returned to the lineup at the end of October 1996. However, two weeks after his return, 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 NHL following the game. Kariya missed two games as a result of the hit. 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. 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 NHL point-scoring, behind Selänne and Pittsburgh Penguins Mario Lemieux. His +36 plus-minus rating and ten game-winning goals set Ducks records (the latter mark was tied by Selänne twice in 1997–98 and 2006–07, then broken by Corey Perry's 11 game-winning goals in 2010–11). Kariya finished as a runner-up to Buffalo Sabres goaltender Dominik Hašek for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player in the NHL, and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy after recording six penalty minutes during the season. In so doing, he became the fourth player in NHL history to win the award in consecutive years after Stan Mikita (1967 and 1968), 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 Selänne. Playing 11 games in his first NHL playoff season, Kariya had seven 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 sat out 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 NHL 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 Japan, as the Mighty Ducks opened the season with a two-game series against the Vancouver Canucks in Tokyo, an effort on the NHL's part to attract attention to the sport ahead of the Olympics. In his first game back, he recorded two goals and two assists. 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 celebrating a goal at the side of the Blackhawks' net when Suter hit him. The NHL gave Suter a four-game suspension that carried through the Olympic tournament, but the IIHF allowed him to play, a decision that incensed Canadian officials and resulted in Suter receiving a death threat from an angry Canadian fan. 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 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 reported by Ducks head coach Pierre Pagé to have said 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.

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. During his recovery, Kariya was outspoken regarding the culture of the NHL regarding excessive physicality, as well as the lack of deterrence. In an article from the Sporting News, he commented, "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, "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 Detroit 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 ten years until Ryan Getzlaf recorded 66 in 2008–09. He ranked third in point-scoring among NHL scorers, behind Selänne and leader Jaromír Jágr of the Pittsburgh Penguins, while ranking first in the NHL 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. Before 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.#tag:ref|Philadelphia Flyers left-winger John LeClair received the remaining nine first-place votes and was named to the second All-Star team.

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 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, Paul 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 NHL. 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 NHL scoring, behind Jaromír Jágr, Pavel Bure, and Mark Recchi. In the NHL'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. 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, which included Gary Suter who had given Kariya the concussion before the 1998 Olympics, Kariya scored Canada's first goal of the game, tying the score at 1–1 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.

Kariya was initially expected to help Team Canada defend their gold medal in 2006. However, he had come off the worst statistical season of his career before 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 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 1990s, 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. 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 Renney 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".

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, "If Teemu [Selänne] 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. 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

During his rookie NHL season, Kariya lived in the Anaheim area with a family that was close friends with Mighty Ducks head coach, Ron Wilson.

Kariya still resides in California with his longtime girlfriend, Valerie, near another former Ducks player, Scott Niedermayer. Kariya has maintained a close friendship with Teemu Selänne, and even attended Selänne's final regular season game at the Honda Center in 2014. Despite Kariya having only once attended the arena following his retirement, Selänne made sure to invite his old teammate as "he has meant so much to me, all my best years and the chemistry I’ve had with him." Selänne even went so far as to jokingly "threaten" to tie him up and toss him into the trunk of his car, then drive him to the stadium himself if Kariya refused. Paul Kariya was shown on the Jumbotron during the third period, which led to a loud ovation from the home crowd.

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. Ducks team owner Henry Samueli brought up that Selänne's jersey retirement banner “looked lonely in the rafters” and told Kariya “they may have to do something about that in the future”.

The Anaheim Ducks retired his number on October 21, 2018, at a ceremony attended by Teemu Selänne and Scott Niedermayer.

In 2018, he was the subject of "Surfacing", a documentary feature on TSN. The segment's creators, Matt Dunn, Michael Farber, Brent Blanchard, and David Midgley, received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Sports Feature Segment at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 1991 Canada PC 5 4 8 12 2 1992 Canada WJC 6th 6 1 1 2 2 1993 Canada WJC 7 2 6 8 2 1993 Canada WC 4th 8 2 7 9 0 1994 Canada OG 8 3 4 7 2 1994 Canada WC 8 5 7 12 2 1996 Canada WC 8 4 3 7 2 2002 Canada OG 6 3 1 4 0 Junior totals 18 7 15 22 6 Senior totals 38 17 22 39 6

Awards and honours

Records Last NCAA Division I player to score 100 points in a single season - 12th overall Anaheim Ducks record; most overtime goals, single season – 3 in 1995–96 Most Puck Control Relay wins at NHL SkillsCompetition – 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002