Paul Kariya

Kariya was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he learned to play not only hockey but also lacrosse, rugby, tennis, golf, and basketball. As an amateur, he played for the University of Maine, leading them to a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship in 1993 and becoming the first freshman ever to win the Hobey Baker award. Although drafted by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 1993, Kariya won a silver medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics and a gold at the 1994 world championships with Team Canada before beginning to play with the Mighty Ducks in the 1994-95 season.

One of Kariya's claims to fame that first season with the Mighty Ducks was his G-rated life off of the ice. Despite having a $6.5 million contract, rather than getting his own place to live he rented a room from a family in Orange County, California. "I've never cooked," Kariya told Sports Illustrated writer Leigh Montville. "I don't

Paul Kariya

own any furniture. It's my first year in the National Hockey League, and there are going to be things I have to learn every night. I just decided I didn't have time to go looking for a condominium or a house, to go through all that and then have to learn all of those other things on the ice. Living with a family seemed to be the right thing for me."

Kariya's good image, on and off the ice, has prompted many to suggest that he should become an ambassador for the game of hockey, which, with its recent expansion into unfamiliar southern and western territory, particularly needs a media-friendly face to introduce potential new fans to the game. Kariya is aware of this suggestion, but is not necessarily enthusiastic about the role. "I'm going to try to be the best Paul Kariya that can be, wherever that leads. Trying to promote the game is part of it, but if you're not performing on the ice, they won't want to talk to you, so I have to take care of that part first. I don't get caught up in it, but I understand my responsibility," he said to Sporting News's Sherry Ross.