Olympian unfortunate: PAUL KARIYA ... the cost of playing in Nashville

[VanIslander]

a sad country and western song could be written about Paul Kariya.

a heartbreak gold loss, missing the gold medal tournament due to injury

and now having an excellent season playing a style of game well suited to olympic-sized ice rinks and he isn't going

would that happen if he was playing for the Leafs or Habs? i say nay.

but Nashville? shoot! most of us haven't even watched them play a whole game this year - there certainly isn't much buzz and excitement, pressure and appreciation going on constantly...

Kariya should have been on the taxi squad at least

his career sure has lost the lustre it started with...

Click to read more...

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Kariya's not even the best Canadian LW on the Predators roster! Steve Sullivan is.

In my opinion, Kariya had zero shot whether he was playing for Gretzky's Coyotes, Quinn's Leafs or Lowe's Oilers.

 

[ARS]

a sad country and western song could be written about Paul Kariya.

a heartbreak gold loss, missing the gold medal tournament due to injury

and now having an excellent season playing a style of game well suited to olympic-sized ice rinks and he isn't going

would that happen if he was playing for the Leafs or Habs? i say nay.

but Nashville? shoot! most of us haven't even watched them play a whole game this year - there certainly isn't much buzz and excitement, pressure and appreciation going on constantly...

Kariya should have been on the taxi squad at least

his career sure has lost the lustre it started with...

I don't thnik him playing in Nashville had anything to do with him not being chosen, he was chosen for SLC when he was playing on a less achieving and less known team in Anaheim.

I think Kariya or Shanahan should have made it over Doan but I guess playing for the guy who is basically the boss of the national team helps you get onto it.

 

[Egil]

The team was picked in September. Karyia had played himself off the team with his performance in Colorado (hence not making the world Cup team). As such, his only hope was making the Taxi (or deflecting media criticism squad), but to make that you need to lead the league in scoring (like Spezza and Staal). So Karyia had no chance, even if he played in Canada.

 

[God Bless Canada]

So which scoring winger does Kariya make it ahead of? You can't say Smyth or Doan, because those guys are the checkers, and we all know Kariya won't be on the checking line.

What cost Kariya a spot is he was good, but not great, in 2002, and he basically played himself off the 2004 World Cup team. He has rebonded this year, but wasn't good enough to play himself on the team.

 

[Absolut]

These are my thoughts about Paul Kariya being left of the team:



However, I am not surprised. I am not sure he deserves the spot over someone either currently on the team or taxi squad.

 

[Resolute]

Which LW exactly would you replace to put a guy who's been in decline for some time now, only has 10g so far, and is -8 on a Predators team that is battling for the conference lead?

 

[Jazz]

You think Gretzky and co pick players based on hype? I'm sure they scouted Kariya just as well as other players.

I do think Kariya could have helped, but to say that it is because of him being in Nashville is the reason, I have to disagree.

 

[Coburnfan05]

a sad country and western song could be written about Paul Kariya.

a heartbreak gold loss, missing the gold medal tournament due to injury

and now having an excellent season playing a style of game well suited to olympic-sized ice rinks and he isn't going

would that happen if he was playing for the Leafs or Habs? i say nay.

but Nashville? shoot! most of us haven't even watched them play a whole game this year - there certainly isn't much buzz and excitement, pressure and appreciation going on constantly...

Kariya should have been on the taxi squad at least

his career sure has lost the lustre it started with...

I Guess Gretz and co. have no idea where Nashville is?

Ok i'll give you that excuse as why he doesn't get enough credit with the media...but playing in Nashville has absolutley no reason as to why he isn't on the team.

 

[joe_shannon_1983*]

a sad country and western song could be written about Paul Kariya.

a heartbreak gold loss, missing the gold medal tournament due to injury

and now having an excellent season playing a style of game well suited to olympic-sized ice rinks and he isn't going

would that happen if he was playing for the Leafs or Habs? i say nay.

but Nashville? shoot! most of us haven't even watched them play a whole game this year - there certainly isn't much buzz and excitement, pressure and appreciation going on constantly...

Kariya should have been on the taxi squad at least

his career sure has lost the lustre it started with...

I agee to an extent.

He didn't have the Canadian media and Canadian fans hyping him up. All we have heard is Spezza, Crosby, Spezza, Crosby, etc. Over and over and over again.

This had to have influenced his omission from the team, or at the very least, the taxi squad. There were two centres taken for the taxi squad, which is odd considering that a winger has a far greater chance at getting injured. You would think that a winger would have been a taxi squad player.

But media pressure and fan pressure probably forced Gretzky to take Spezza as a taxi squad player, leaving a winger such as Kariya off.

Anyways, it can be said however that Kariya hasn't had the type of year where Canada would have absolutely had to take him. He has had a good year. He has had a year just as good as some of the players who did get picked. But he started the year at the back of the pack, and didn't play so well that he pushed himself past some of the arguably inferior incumbents.

I still would have taken Kariya over Nash though, as I think that Nash is one of the most over-rated and over-hyped players I have ever seen. Never in my lifetime has a guy whose career high is 57 points been so acclaimed, unless that player was a shut-down forward ala Peca or Gainey. Usually, as a one-dimensional offensive forward (as Nash is), one has to put up close to PPG numbers to get the recognition that Nash has been getting.

Anyways though, back to Kariya....It is really odd how he has just completely spiralled down the drain over the last 2-3 years or so, especially considering he was once perhaps hockey's most marketable star. Kariya, in terms of popularity, was once probably more popular than guys like Heatley or Iginla.

I am beginning to wonder if he did something to p*ss somebody off in the hockey world over the last few years. He has gone from a superstar to a utter nobody in the eyes of most. You hardly ever hear him mentioned anymore by people in hockey management positions, the media, or fans.

Is it what he did to the Mighty Ducks? Is it something else behind the scenes?

Something has to have happened for him to not even get considered for Team Canada's anymore, or not be marketed anymore.

 

[Flyguy_1ca]

Kariya has the worst plus/minus on his team..he does not deserve to go. He refuses to play D

 

[surixon]

I really hate what the team Canada brass has done to Karyia. I can understand him not being at the World Cup cause he had a bad injury plaged season. But to leave him out of the summer camp was assaine considering what hes done for Canada in the past. Why is it that guys like Yzerman were given spots on the team despite being injured and playing horrible for the past few years while Karyia gets thrown under the bus after 1 bad year. Why are Blake and Foote cut slack for playing poorly and and Karyia excluded when hes playing really well. Other then one great year what has ST. Louis done to deserve playing on this team ahead of Karyia, I mean he was horrible at the World Cup. Does everyone forget how good hes been for Canada, I mean he was our best player at the 94 games and one of our best in 02, infact id argue based on his international stats, that hes been one of our best international stars ever, period! Canada has really turned it's back on one of it's greatest international stars and to me thats a shame because he deserved far better then this for what hes done for us.

 

[VanIslander]

playing in Nashville has absolutley no reason as to why he isn't on the team.

absolutely no reason?

and i bet you think the fact that Doan played in Phoenix had absolutely no infuence with Doan being picked. absolutely none?

media hype and exposure comes with a big market presence... kariya simply hasn't been talked about much, a buzz helps get a second or third look

anyways... it is SAD to see someone like Kariya, who started his career at the TOP of appreciation, as sort of the poster boy of canadian skilled players,... now have a mediocre career.... the olympics could've been his stage to shine once again... many of us felt he was missed last time around when he couldn't make it

oh well...

 

[joe_shannon_1983*]

Kariya has the worst plus/minus on his team..he does not deserve to go. He refuses to play D

Yeah, he refuses to play defense.

That is why one of the best defensive teams in the league puts Kariya on their penalty kill.

That is why Ron Wilson, Mike Babcock, and Barry Trotz have in the past all called him an excellent two-way player.

Whenh making judgements of his defense, how about you watch him play, rather than base it off of plus/minus?

 

[VanIslander]

I really hate what the team Canada brass has done to Karyia. I can understand him not being at the World Cup cause he had a bad injury plaged season. But to leave him out of the summer camp was assaine considering what hes done for Canada in the past. Why is it that guys like Yzerman were given spots on the team despite being injured and playing horrible for the past few years while Karyia gets thrown under the bus after 1 bad year. Why are Blake and Foote cut slack for playing poorly and and Karyia excluded when hes playing really well. Other then one great year what has ST. Louis done to deserve playing on this team ahead of Karyia, I mean he was horrible at the World Cup. Does everyone forget how good hes [kariya] been for Canada, I mean he was our best player at the 94 games and one of our best in 02, infact id argue based on his international stats, that hes been one of our best international stars ever, period! Canada has really turned it's back on one of it's greatest international stars and to me thats a shame because he deserved far better then this for what hes done for us.

 

[Flyguy_1ca]

Yeah, he refuses to play defense.

That is why one of the best defensive teams in the league puts Kariya on their penalty kill.

That is why Ron Wilson, Mike Babcock, and Barry Trotz have in the past all called him an excellent two-way player.

Whenh making judgements of his defense, how about you watch him play, rather than base it off of plus/minus?

Actually, I have...so have a lot of people. What do you think Trotz will say?...He's junk and won't backcheck?

He has the worst +/- on the team...like it or not that says something.

Also, here's from tsn:

"His smallish stature has perhaps indirectly led to concussion problems in the past. Has difficulty playing within a closed defensive system."

Kariya isn't thought of by many as someone that hustles to backcheck regularly...sorry

Perhaps you should stop taking pr spin from Trotz and start watching Kariya play.

 

[interminded]

Kariya had his chance in 1994... he blew it..

 

[VanIslander]

Kariya had his chance in 1994... he blew it..

actually, he scored on the shootout, didn't he?

as for his +/- this season, that's as much as indication of his going up against the other team's best lines. kariya plays the pk not because he's physical (which he isn't) but because he is excellent positionally - and this is a game about the puck, and in the new nhl his ability to remain in the face of his check, to react quickly on his skates, is a real asset.

i would to hear from gretzky what it was about their assessment of kariya that saw him rated lower than others like st. louis

 

[interminded]

actually, he scored on the shootout, didn't he?

as for his +/- this season, that's as much as indication of his going up against the other team's best lines. kariya plays the pk not because he's physical (which he isn't) but because he is excellent positionally - and this is a game about the puck, and in the new nhl his ability to remain in the face of his check, to react quickly on his skates, is a real asset.

i would to hear from gretzky what it was about their assessment of kariya that saw him rated lower than others like st. louis

No, he didn't.

Tommy Salo stopped the last Canadian shot and Peter Forsberg scored the game winning goal:

Sweden gold, Canada silver......

 

[Coburnfan05]

absolutely no reason?

and i bet you think the fact that Doan played in Phoenix had absolutely no infuence with Doan being picked. absolutely none?

media hype and exposure comes with a big market presence... kariya simply hasn't been talked about much, a buzz helps get a second or third look
anyways... it is SAD to see someone like Kariya, who started his career at the TOP of appreciation, as sort of the poster boy of canadian skilled players,... now have a mediocre career.... the olympics could've been his stage to shine once again... many of us felt he was missed last time around when he couldn't make it

oh well...

While I agree Karyia should have been there as an offesive winger over St.Louis but I am pretty sure Gretx and co. don't need to rely on media coverage of the Nashville market to know wether he good enough or not.

 

[VanIslander]

yeah, missing the '94 shootout shot

suter's hit keeping him out of Nagano

kariya's joining the avs to win a cup as a cheap rent a player

not getting selected for the olympics for the first time ever

a very UNLUCKY series of events

 

[VanIslander]

kariya was once touted as a future HHOFer....

not making the olympics this time certainly won't help him get his esteem and career back on track

c'est la vie

 

[Dolemite]

a sad country and western song could be written about Paul Kariya.

a heartbreak gold loss, missing the gold medal tournament due to injury

and now having an excellent season playing a style of game well suited to olympic-sized ice rinks and he isn't going

would that happen if he was playing for the Leafs or Habs? i say nay.

but Nashville? shoot! most of us haven't even watched them play a whole game this year - there certainly isn't much buzz and excitement, pressure and appreciation going on constantly...

Kariya should have been on the taxi squad at least

his career sure has lost the lustre it started with...

No, Karya's chances weren't hurt in Nashville. They were hurt in Colorado when he made the mistake of signing with the Avs.

 

[Tricolore#20]

I also feel bad for Kariya, and felt that he possibly could have had a role on this team, as a scorer and as a leader (especially with the small void created by Lemieux and Yzerman's absence).

It seems to me that throughout the process, Kariya was forgotten. He should have been invited to the camp, and if he was, he would have had a better shot at making the team. Every player who made the MAIN squad was at the summer camp, revealing how much being invited to that camp meant. Considering what he has contributed to Hockey Canada in the past, he should have atleast been given the opportunity to go to the camp, and become more prominent in the minds of the Canadian executives.

 

[barfy2000]

Anyways though, back to Kariya....It is really odd how he has just completely spiralled down the drain over the last 2-3 years or so, especially considering he was once perhaps hockey's most marketable star. Kariya, in terms of popularity, was once probably more popular than guys like Heatley or Iginla.

I am beginning to wonder if he did something to p*ss somebody off in the hockey world over the last few years. He has gone from a superstar to a utter nobody in the eyes of most.

At one point in time, Paul Kariya was seen as the next "Great" Canadian superstar, the heir apparent to, and at the age of 23, ready for taking the torch from Mario and Wayne. At the time leading up to the Nagano Olympics, he was arguably the best forward on the planet, with some of the best hockey sense ever seen in a player, and was instrumental in hockey's popularity surge in Japan. Unfortunately Gary Suter took a cheapshot that basically sent his career into a horrible downslide. He has simply never been the same since.

His tremendous hockey sense is still there, but unfortunately, that alone is not enough to be picked. His skillset is still top notch, but his recent string of injuries in Colorado has made his probability of playing his way onto Team Canada slim to none. He never had a chance.


It really is a shame. He is one of my all time favourite players, but it would be near impossible to put him on the team. I still hope he will make the HOF though.