Anaheim Ducks great Paul Kariya was inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame this weekend. It’s possible his most famous play came against the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals.
It was a great weekend for the NHL. Teemu Selanne was one of the most popular players of this generation, and he was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Going with him were Dave Andreychuk and Mark Recci, who both carved out successful careers while flying under the radar.
One player who was anything but under the radar was Paul Kariya. He was a fire starter since he was selected fourth overall in the 1993 draft. He was the first ever pick by the Might Ducks of Anaheim. He was the first star for a team named after a Disney movie. Nothing about that is flying under the radar.
In his first full season in 1995-96, he broke 100 points. His first season he his a point total we never see now. He was a star playing in a market that really needed one.
Kariya had a really interesting career, one that could be easily forgotten if it wasn’t for his HHOF induction. He played in an era of stars. It was the end of the Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux era, but their star power still shined. Jaromir Jagr was another star who drew headlines. The Colorado Avalanche was full of stars with Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy. Kariya was just trying to play hockey, which he was making a name for himself.
Unfortunately, thanks to a world of gifs and Youtube, his most popular moment was probably a low point in his career.
Scott Stevens absolutely rocked Kariya for his patented open ice hit. Seeing it today, it feels a little nauseating. He’s clearly concussed. Kariya has no idea where he is at this moment. The worst part is when Kariya is staring at the lights and takes a huge breath, fogging up his face guard.
Stevens may be the hardest hitter in the history of the NHL, and this was his hardest hit. Forever, the trajectory of one of the best players in this generation is now changed. He will always be known as the guy flattened by Scott Stevens on the biggest stage possible.
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Looking back, people don’t even remember the heroic, Kirk Gibson-esque return to the ice. Just 11 minutes after needing a spatula to get back up off the ice, he was skating with his teammates. The Mighty Ducks were facing elimination, and their star player wasn’t going without a fight. He came back on the ice, and ripped a slap shot past Martin Brodeur.
Despite that story, the one that stood the test of time was the story of his body laid out on the ice. It’s those stories that put cringes down spines today. It’s almost like a car accident, you know looking at it on the highway is not the right thing but you can’t look away.
Looking back now, we can try to remember Kariya’s career for the playmaking forward that could score at will. However, when one talks about Kariya, it’s hard not to remember this hit.