Where Is Kariya Now?
Paul Kariya left the Mighty Ducks that off-season, signing in Colorado to play with his friend Teemu Selanne. He was mercilessly booed for the rest of his career by the fans in Anaheim. He briefly considered a return to the Ducks in 2011, before being told he could not come back to the game he once loved because of the risk to his brain.
Kariya has been noticeably absent from Honda Center over the years. He lives less than 20 miles from the arena where the magic happened for all those years. He finally returned with only one fan in attendance to paint over the number 9 on the Honda Center wall during the Ducks’ run to the Conference Finals in 2017.
Late last year, Kariya again showed his face in Anaheim. This time he was at center ice with a packed house. There were very few boos. The owner, Henry Samueli, begged Kariya to let the team place his number in the rafters with that of his friend, Teemu Selanne.
His number remains absent from Honda Center’s walls. At this point, Ducks fans should just be happy their hero can live a relatively normal daily life. If you’re still thinking Kariya deserves to be booed, consider investing a few minutes watching “Surfacing” special on him from last year.
What Have We Learned?
Just a few years ago, I was sitting at Ruby’s Diner in Laguna Beach with my family when a nice dark SUV rolled into the parking lot. A familiar silhouette emerged from the vehicle. I thought, “There’s no way that’s Paul Kariya, right?”
Then as he entered the restaurant with his partner, I knew it was him. He looked great. My kids occasionally stared over in his direction. But I lacked understanding. We walked out right by his table, but I had no desire to talk to Kariya. I was one of the many who had been booing him for years, and I wasn’t about to make a scene.
I hope we’ve all moved past that kind of ignorance. Paul Kariya lives with the effects of at least six concussions to this day. There will be no way to determine if he has chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) until he is dead. But that condition is common among athletes with repeated head trauma. Many hockey players, including now deceased former Duck Steve Montador, have suffered from CTE’s horrible effects.
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I’m glad Kariya appears ok. I hope he finds his way to allowing the fans another chance to salute him as the Ducks raise his number 9 to the rafters. It would only make sense that the league would eventually bring his passion in to help out in the department of player safety. I wish I would have just said “thank you” that day in the restaurant. It was ignorant not to acknowledge all the excitement he gave my family and me.