“On the Board!”
Kariya laid motionless on the ice for the better part of a minute. The puff of breath that finally fogged his face shield is legendary now. He slowly got up off of the ice and returned to the Anaheim locker room. Everyone knew he was done for the season after the Stevens hatchet job. The Mighty Ducks had to regroup and hang onto their two-goal lead without their leader.
In what would be inconceivable today given concussion protocols, only a few minutes later Paul Kariya emerged from the Mighty Ducks’ locker room ready to play. Let’s chalk it up to ignorance about concussions and their effects that the league and the team allowed that to happen.
Everyone today understands Kariya should have been off at least until the following season after what was surely a major concussion in Game 6. But there he was, tapping his teammates on the back and providing encouragement for holding the lead.
I didn’t make the long drive up from San Diego to be at that game. I remember watching the game intently with my two-year-old son. Just moments after Kariya returned to the ice, the defense, and a timely hook by Adam Oates, caused a turnover at the Anaheim blue line.
Sykora and Oates exchanged passes while Kariya wound up from midway in his own zone. As Kariya gained speed, Sykora knew what to do. He laid the puck to his left in front of a speeding Paul Kariya.
Hero Time
I am sure I was not alone as I yelled out, “Come on Paul!” The national audience must have been rooting for it too. As Kariya crossed the blue line, he wound up for a ridiculous slap shot that barely touched the defender’s stick.
He let it go outside the top of the circle. It appears Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur even got a slight piece of the rising shot. But it didn’t matter. It was destiny. Kariya’s shot went in right under the far crossbar, just inside the post. It was a perfect shot for a perfect moment.
The Mighty Ducks went back to New Jersey where the Devils could ensure Kariya would face their top pairing of defensemen all night. As we now know, Anaheim fell 3-0 again in that final game. It was also Kariya’s final game as a Mighty Duck.