Paul Kariya

Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya (born October 16, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 15 NHL seasons for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues from 1995 to 2010. Known for his speed, intelligence, and exceptional vision on offense, he was selected fourth overall by the Mighty Ducks in the 1993 NHL entry draft—the team’s first-ever draft pick—after a standout amateur career.

Kariya began his junior hockey with the Penticton Panthers of the BCJHL, where he won the Vern Dye Memorial Trophy as Interior Conference MVP in both 1991 and 1992, and was named Canadian Junior A Player of the Year in 1992. He then joined the University of Maine’s Black Bears in 1992–93. As a freshman, he scored 100 points in 39 games, won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s top player (the first freshman to do so), and helped Maine win the NCAA title alongside fellow Hobey finalist Jim Montgomery. He also made the Hockey East first All-Star team and was named the conference’s Rookie and Player of the Year.

In the NHL, Kariya made an immediate impact, earning a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1995. During his nine-year tenure in Anaheim, he formed a potent duo with winger Teemu Selänne, earned three first-team All-Star selections, and finished as runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1997. He won back-to-back Lady Byng Trophies in 1996 and 1997 for skillful play and sportsmanship. Serving as team 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 with the Colorado Avalanche—where he reunited with Selänne—Kariya signed with the Nashville Predators in August 2005. Over two seasons there, he set a team record for points in a single season (2005–06), later broken. He finished his career with three seasons for the St. Louis Blues.

Internationally, Kariya represented Canada at multiple levels. He won gold at the 1993 World Junior Championships in his second appearance. At the Winter Olympics, he earned silver in 1994 as an amateur and gold in 2002 in Salt Lake City. Between those Games, he won gold and silver at the 1994 and 1996 World Championships, respectively.

Concussions plagued Kariya throughout his NHL career. After sitting out the 2010–11 season due to post-concussion syndrome, he announced his retirement in June 2011. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in June 2017, and the Anaheim Ducks retired his number 9 on October 21, 2018.

Kariya was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Sharon and Tetsuhiko (T.K.) Kariya. His father, a Japanese-Canadian born in a WWII internment camp in Greenwood, British Columbia, worked as a math teacher and died from a heart attack on December 27, 2002. His mother, a Scottish-Canadian, was also a teacher. His father played rugby for the Canadian national team. Kariya is one of four siblings in professional sports: brothers Steve and Martin are hockey players, and sister Noriko played hockey before turning to boxing. As a teenager, Kariya worked a summer construction job. At 16, he left home to play Junior A hockey in Penticton, where he also worked at a clothing store owned by the team’s coach and general manager. He later enrolled at the University of Maine, where he made the dean’s list while playing for the hockey team.