When discussing the career of Paul Kariya, hockey fans will probably mainly remember his time with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim or his last few seasons with the St. Louis Blues. For the 2005-06 and 2006-07 NHL seasons though, Kariya was a member of the Nashville Predators.
While he was not with the Predators for a long time, Kariya was a veteran who led by his production on the ice. He was their best scorer while he donned their sweater. The Predators had a lot of talent on those two teams. Some of the names included J.P. Dumont, David Legwand, Steve Sullivan, Martin Erat, and Kimmo Timonen among others.
A Mighty Career for a Mighty Duck
Kariya was drafted with the fourth overall pick in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Mighty Ducks. He spent the 1992-93 and 1993-94 campaigns developing his craft with the Maine Black Bears hockey team in the NCAA. His first campaign with the Black Bears saw him hit the 100-point mark with 25 goals and 75 assists in 39 games. His second season for Maine saw him get eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points in 12 games.
The 1994-95 NHL season was when Kariya made his debut with the Mighty Ducks, and he fit in with the club instantly. He played in 47 games and tallied 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points. That led the entire team in scoring. As impressive as that was though, Kariya posted superstar numbers in 1995-96, when he hit both the 50-goal and 100-point mark. He accrued 108 points in 82 games (50 goals 58 assists).
Related: Paul Kariya – The Original Mighty Duck
As the Mighty Ducks gained more offensive pieces like Petr Sykora, they eventually produced better results as a team. As a result, Anaheim made it to the 2003 Stanley Cup Final, where they took on the New Jersey Devils. The Mighty Ducks fell to the Devils in seven games. Kariya during that run to the Cup Final had six goals and six assists for 12 points in 21 games.
Kariya suited up for Anaheim until he left in free agency prior to the 2003-04 campaign. Overall, he totaled the following while donning the Mighty Ducks jersey:
- 1994-95: 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points in 47 games
- 1995-96: 50 goals and 58 assists for 108 points in 82 games
- 1996-97: 44 goals and 55 assists for 99 points in 69 games
- 1997-98: 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points in 22 games
- 1998-99: 39 goals and 62 assists for 101 points in 82 games
- 1999-2000: 42 goals and 44 assists for 86 points in 74 games
- 2000-01: 33 goals and 34 assists for 67 points in 66 games
- 2001-02: 32 goals and 25 assists for 57 points in 82 games
- 2002-03: 25 goals and 56 assists for 81 points in 82 games
After just falling short of winning the Cup, Kariya moved on from Anaheim. Then-general manager Bryan Murray let him hit free agency, because the qualifying offer for him to remain with the Mighty Ducks was $10 million. It was a tough situation for the organization to let him hit free agency, but he did. He did not return to the club.
Bolstering the Predators’ Offense
Kariya left the Mighty Ducks and signed with the Colorado Avalanche. The idea of Kariya playing alongside other Avalanche forwards like Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk, and Alex Tanguay sounded dangerous for opponents. On top of that, Kariya and Teemu Selanne reunited in Colorado as teammates. There was firepower all throughout the 2003-04 Avalanche. Kariya suited up for 51 games for them that campaign, and put up 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points.
Following his season in Denver, Kariya hit free agency again and inked a deal with the Predators. Adding a skilled talent like him to the mix was great, not just for the fans and organization, but for the younger teammates too. Nashville dressed Scott Hartnell, Martin Erat, Dan Hamhuis, Legwand, Ryan Suter, Vernon Fiddler, Shea Weber, and more who were all 25 years old or younger. A lot of the Predators’ future was already playing games for the team. Solid veterans like Kariya and Steve Sullivan had the experience that those players back then could model themselves after.
While with the Predators, Kariya tallied the following numbers:
- 2005-06: 31 goals and 54 assists for 85 points in 82 games
- 2006-07: 24 goals and 52 assists for 76 points in 82 games
Additionally, Kariya played in the postseason for Nashville in both seasons he was there. In the 2006 Playoffs, he scored two goals and produced five assists for seven points in five games. For the 2007 postseason, he accrued two assists in five games.
Finishing His Career in St. Louis
Kariya’s time in Nashville ended after two seasons. He made one more stop in his NHL career before officially hanging up the skates. He inked a deal with the St. Louis Blues for three years in July 2007. The Blues were a team that had the likes of Brad Boyes, Keith Tkachuk, David Backes, and David Perron on the offense heading into 2007-08. Kariya had a lot of skill around him, but St. Louis never made the playoffs while he was with the club. During his stint with the Blues, he posted the following stats:
- 2007-08: 16 goals and 49 assists for 65 points in 82 games
- 2008-09: two goals and 13 assists for 15 points in 11 games
- 2009-10: 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points in 75 games
Unfortunately, the end of Kariya’s career in the league was not a positive one. He was someone who had dealt with multiple concussions during his playing career. During the 2009-10 season, he suffered another one when he was hit in the head by the elbow of Buffalo Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta. Kariya sat out the entire 2010-11 season due to post-concussion syndrome, and eventually announced his retirement from the game in June 2011.
Kariya was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2017. His career spanned 15 seasons in the NHL. He suited up in 989 games, where he registered a total of 402 goals and 587 assists for 989 points. He was a two-time winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. He also appeared in seven NHL All-Star Games (1996, 1997, 1999-2003). Lastly, Kariya was the captain of the Mighty Ducks from 1996-2003.
Looking back on his career, Kariya will most be remembered for his time with the Mighty Ducks. He also may be remembered for his last tenure before retirement in St. Louis. His stints with the Avalanche and Predators can easily be forgotten. Even though he was only in Nashville a short time, his impact in the locker room made a difference. There were a lot of successful Predators players who had stellar careers either while still in Nashville or after they left. He played a solid role for the younger talents and was an offensive force whenever he was on the ice. The Predators’ offense was in good hands with him at the helm.
