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3. Paul Karıya

3. Paul Karıya

One of the most gifted offensive players of his day, Paul Kariya, was the Fourth Overall Pick in 1993, and a year later, he was an All-Rookie for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

Kariya became the Ducks' first real star, exploding for 50 Goals and 108 Points (all career-highs), and the Left Wing was named a First Team All-Star and was ninth in Hart Trophy voting.  Kariya was a very clean player, and he won the first of what was two straight Lady Byng Trophies.  A First Team All-Star again in 1996-97, Kariya was the runner-up for the Hart Trophy.

He missed most of the 1997/98 season due to injuries and concussions, and Kariya rebounded with 101 Points in 1998/99, where he was a First Team All-Star for the third time in his career, and he was a Second Team All-Star the second season. Kariya was the Ducks team's undisputed leader, and while post-concussion syndrome would cause him to miss some games and erode his play, he was still an excellent hockey player.  

In 2002-03, Kariya scored 81 Points, was a Second Team All-Star and propelled the Ducks to a surprise Stanley Cup Final.  This was the last season for Kariya in Anaheim, as he signed with Colorado as a Free Agent.  With the Ducks, Kariya scored 669 Points in 606 Games.

Kariya entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017 and saw his number 9 hung from the rafters a year after.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Left Wing
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 4th Overall in the NHL Draft 6/26/93.
  • Departed: Signed as a Free Agent with the Colorado Avalanche 7/3/03.
  • Games Played: 606
  • Notable Statistics:

    300 Goals
    369 Assists 
    669 Points 
    213 PIM 
    1.10 PPG 
    +53 Plus/Minus 
    78.8 Point Shares 

    35 Playoff Games
    14 Goals
    15 Assists 
    29 Points 
    10 PIM
    -2 Plus/Minus 

  • Non-NHL Teams:

    First Team All-Star (1996, 1997 & 1999)
    Second Team All-Star (2000 & 2003)
    All-Star (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 & 2003)
    Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (1996 & 1997)
    Most Game-Winning Goals (1997)
    Most Shots (1997 & 1999)

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