Paul Kariya Career Biography and Statistics

Bio:
Paul Kariya was born on October 16, 1974 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He enjoyed a successful career in the junior leagues before playing at the University of Maine. As a freshman at Maine, Kariya helped lead his team to a national title, was named a First Team All-American, and won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in college hockey. Kariya was drafted into the NHL in 1993 by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks but he spent the 1993-94 season with Maine and the Canadian National Team.

Kariya played only 47 games during the 1994-95 season, his first in the NHL, but he still managed score 39 points. The next season Kariya exploded in a big way with 108 points and was named a starter on the All-Star team. He spent his first nine seasons with Anaheim, and he signed a free agent deal with the Colorado Avalanche prior to the 2003-04 season. He only spent one year with the Avalanche, signing with the Nashville Predators in 2005. Once again, Kariya moved on prior to the 2007-08 season, this time signing with the St. Louis Blues, his third team in four seasons.

Kariya is a three-time gold medal winner, one at the Olympics, World Championships, and World Junior Championships. A seven-time All-Star, Kariya has career totals (through 2006-07) of 877 points, 509 assists, and 368 goals.