Paul Kariya

Kariya played for the Ducks from 1994 to 2003

From the moment he stepped onto the ice as a rookie in 1994, North Vancouver native Paul Kariya was one of the most productive and electrifying forwards in the National Hockey League. As a twenty-one year old, Kariya recorded 50 goals and 108 points. He was named an NHL First Team All Star three times (1996, 1997, 1999), and was twice awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (1996, 1997). An able goal scorer and maybe more importantly, a willing passer, it’s impossible to understate his outstanding hockey sense. Kariya will be best remembered by hockey fans for his time as captain of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and for his role on the gold medal winning team at in 2002 at the Salt Lake City Olympics. Following the lockout, Kariya’s star began to fade; he spent two productive seasons in Nashville (setting a team record for points in a season with 85,) and then joined the St. Louis Blues for the final three seasons of his career. He had an illustrious career and was always a fan favorite. The only item missing from his impressive resume: the Stanley Cup. 

The closest Kariya came to lifting Lord Stanley’s Cup was in 2003, when the underdog Mighty Ducks pushed the New Jersey Devils to seven games. The series in question produced two anecdotes that still resonate within the hockey community. The first is the outstanding play of Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy even in defeat. The second is the resounding open ice hit Devils captain Scott Stevens unleashed on an unsuspecting Kariya in Game 6. The momentous body check was memorable enough on its own, but it was the series of subsequent events that vaulted the hit into hockey lore. Kariya was in need of medical attention and was helped off of the ice, but later returned to the game and scored a goal that extended Anaheim’s lead and helped force a seventh game. It is said that Kariya doesn’t even recall scoring that goal. 

Kariya lay motionless on the ice following the devastating body check

On June 29^th 2011, Paul Kariya quietly retired from the NHL. The thirty-six year old was sidelined for the entire 2010-2011 season, battling post-concussion syndrome. Kariya wanted to return, but doctors advised that he step away from the game, warning him of the serious dangers of another potential concussion. Kariya retired from hockey having recorded an impressive 989 points in 989 games, but he will always be linked with concussions. Head injuries are still a serious issue in hockey. The Golden Boy, Sidney Crosby, missed 41 games last season with concussion related symptoms. Many people would argue that the career of Eric Lindros was nowhere near where it could have been had he avoided the concussions that plagued him throughout his career. The same can be said about Kariya, a great hockey player whose on ice legacy is overshadowed by a series of unfortunate and mostly avoidable injuries. Kariya is in favor of more severe punishment for cheap shots and the league has publicly stated it is trying to rid the game of hits to the head (see rule 48), but there is still a long way to go before concussions can be considered a non-issue in the NHL.