Will Paul Kariya Ever Go Back To Anaheim?

Paul Kariya was one of my favourite players in the 90s and I always thought it was a shame the way he left Anaheim after that run to the finals in 2003. They eventually brought back Teemu Selanne after he bounced around the league for a few years and I thought it would go a long ways towards retoring Kariya as a great player. It just never seemed right that he should play in a Preds or Blues jersey. With that said, are there still hard feelings in the organization now that there's different ownership and management, or did they ever talk about it when he became a free agent after Nashville? Would fans ever take him back? Could anyone shed some information on this for me?

:deadhorse


In all seriousness, we've discussed this ad nauseam. And I still hate his guts.

i would happily accept him back. although the price tag on him sucks and wouldnt work with our cap situation any time soon. although nothing would be better than to see him hoist a cup with us... and no number 9 for him!

You should ask Paul...

Any team would want him for the right price so... Obviously there's a chance it could happen, but I don't think he'd take a paycut to come to Anaheim at the time he hits free agency.

one million a yr for this guy.

What amaze me is that everyone still identify Paul Kariya as a Duck except Ducks fans.

Get over it guys, he'll never come back. (thanks God)

The answer remains an emphatic NO! Although it would be funny to see him get paid under a million dollars and for Bobby Ryan to tell him to find a different #!!!

I hope he never wins a cup and if he was playing here I would be very conflicted with that hope, best for him just to stay away.

Nope, don't want him back here to shame the franchise any more than he already had after that summer of '03.

you guys can hate all you want on kariya but in reality if it wasn't for him this team would no longer be here. yes its unfortunate how everything went down. however he was a Duck and always will be! this blogger's perspective sums it up best! http://anaheimcalling.blogspot.com/2009/03/9-problem-like-kariya.html

Imagine the irony if Kariya came back to saddle up with Teemu on our SECOND line. The only scenario in which I could see Paul returning would be at the end of his current 3 year deal (is he entering year two or three?). Teemu might decide to sign one more contract and play one last year with his buddy.

Of course he will and I'm sure he already has. His off-season home is still in Orange County, he comes back every summer.

;)

Imagine the irony if Kariya came back to saddle up with Teemu on our SECOND line. The only scenario in which I could see Paul returning would be at the end of his current 3 year deal (is he entering year two or three?). Teemu might decide to sign one more contract and play one last year with his buddy.

he's entering his final year. kariya to selanne and vice versa.. make it happen! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0CrARZLocc

you guys can hate all you want on kariya but in reality if it wasn't for him this team would no longer be here. yes its unfortunate how everything went down. however he was a Duck and always will be! this blogger's perspective sums it up best! http://anaheimcalling.blogspot.com/2009/03/9-problem-like-kariya.html

Since my blog was linked on this thread, I should probably clarify for the angry Kariya-haters, just anticipating your concerns from other things that have been hurled at me.

1. The long holdout was about contract length. I don't know why people remember it as being about money. He donated some of the money from one of the two years he signed to show it was about contract length. Ferreira was determined to get him into a 7 year deal. Now, did Kariya want out and want to test free agency? I'm sure he did. After the lockout, a lot of forwards could be stuck with a team until they were 31, and Kariya didn't want that. But the length of the holdout was about neither side being able to see eye to eye on a contract length. And we honestly don't know if Kariya refused to sign for more than 1 year or if Ferreira refused to sign him to less than 7. You can't really say who was responsible for the length of the holdout.

2. Bryan Murray never described his talks with Kariya as an oral agreement. I write about this here: http://anaheimcalling.blogspot.com/2009/04/mailbag-ghost-of-rumors-past.html. Don't visit if you don't want to. I'm not plugging my blog, just pre-emptively defending myself. Kariya told the Register he was 'surprised' that he didn't get the qualifying offer, and Murray had even described Kariya as 'clearly disappointed' on July 1st. But when Murray read Kariya say "surprised," he did an interview where he claimed he told Kariya his plans, and Kariya shouldn't have been surprised. But he SHOULD have been clearly disappointed???? Whatever. I think there was a breakdown in communication, but I don't see why everyone chooses to believe Murray. It's one thing to be mad that Kariya broke his rally promise to come back, but to believe Murray without thinking it through is just silly. Murray got burned on a TRUE oral agreement that next season when he traded Corey Perry for Mike Comrie. Murray had a lot of shaky verbal deals it seems. (JK, i know that one was Lowe's fault).

3. I'm not saying Kariya's a saint. He played his career under a really bad post-lockout free agency system. He played for a team that a lot of other teams weren't afraid of, and he took progressively severe head injuries in the years that we didn't have Grimson. BUT, he didn't take those things in stride. He DID want out. He DID make the organization pay him if they wanted to keep him after they clashed with him.


I just want to say that it's easy to say that stars today wouldn't have behaved that way back then, but stars today can't even sign a long term deal without wanting out after the first year, it seems. It was a really dumb compromise to punish the young stars so that the NHLPA wouldn't have to have a salary cap.

That's all fine and good if you believe that.

What about the fact that now Kariya is declining, is overpaid, and that he wouldn't fit in with the style of the team? That he's a perimeter playmaker when we need more goalscorers (and guys who will do the dirty work)? That he's slowing down and that he's coming off major surgery that could sap him of even more speed? That we couldn't afford the salary, and that he's shown multiple times since Anaheim that salary is goal #1 so we won't get him cheap (unless you think he was aiming for Cups in Nashville and St. Louis)? That he's a powerplay specialist who wouldn't score in Anaheim because he'd be behind others in the PP depth chart (which of Getzlaf, Perry, Ryan, or Selanne is he going to beat out, and the #2 unit gets minimal time)?

That's all fine and good if you believe that.

What about the fact that now Kariya is declining, is overpaid, and that he wouldn't fit in with the style of the team? That he's a perimeter playmaker when we need more goalscorers (and guys who will do the dirty work)? That he's slowing down and that he's coming off major surgery that could sap him of even more speed? That we couldn't afford the salary, and that he's shown multiple times since Anaheim that salary is goal #1 so we won't get him cheap (unless you think he was aiming for Cups in Nashville and St. Louis)? That he's a powerplay specialist who wouldn't score in Anaheim because he'd be behind others in the PP depth chart (which of Getzlaf, Perry, Ryan, or Selanne is he going to beat out, and the #2 unit gets minimal time)?

I don't think Kariya is declining.. His stats when he actually does play is pretty well.. he's just becoming more and more fragile.
I'd welcome him back

That's all fine and good if you believe that.

What about the fact that now Kariya is declining, is overpaid, and that he wouldn't fit in with the style of the team? That he's a perimeter playmaker when we need more goalscorers (and guys who will do the dirty work)? That he's slowing down and that he's coming off major surgery that could sap him of even more speed? That we couldn't afford the salary, and that he's shown multiple times since Anaheim that salary is goal #1 so we won't get him cheap (unless you think he was aiming for Cups in Nashville and St. Louis)? That he's a powerplay specialist who wouldn't score in Anaheim because he'd be behind others in the PP depth chart (which of Getzlaf, Perry, Ryan, or Selanne is he going to beat out, and the #2 unit gets minimal time)?

Yeah, sorry, I meant to address people that were reading the blog post. If you read the blog post, I brought up all of your excellent points in my reasons why bringing him back may not be attractive. ONCE AGAIN, don't if you don't want to. I'm not plugging my blog here.

I will counter by saying that Kariya was never the classic small forward. He skated into the corners and left with the puck. He says he feels better than he has in years after surgery on the other hip. If that's true, and none of us believed Selanne when HE said it, maybe he can still do that.

Then I would point out that Ryan was already beat out for a position on the top Power Play unit. You can call that health or chemistry, but Carlyle focused on making a deadly second unit in the end of the season run and playoffs. They got increased time, and much focus was put on developing Whitney's big shot and utilizing Wisniewski's wrister from the point. The team is clearly interested in a second unit, even if they didn't utilize one through most of the season.

I will counter by saying that Kariya was never the classic small forward. He skated into the corners and left with the puck. He says he feels better than he has in years after surgery on the other hip. If that's true, and none of us believed Selanne when HE said it, maybe he can still do that.


He hasn't skated into corners and left with the puck for a long, long time. He's strictly a perimeter player, has been for a number of years. There's a place for him on many teams, his skill and hockey sense is unquestionable. It's his committment that I question. I think he became more interested in longevity and maximizing his earning power rather than winning at any cost.

I could be wrong.

He hasn't skated into corners and left with the puck for a long, long time. He's strictly a perimeter player, has been for a number of years. There's a place for him on many teams, his skill and hockey sense is unquestionable. It's his committment that I question. I think he became more interested in longevity and maximizing his earning power rather than winning at any cost.

I could be wrong.

Well, I wouldn't blame him for losing the courage to mix it up, whether that's earning potential or health related. And he's definitely become a power play specialist, but honestly, so has Selanne. IF that hip is really feeling that much better, he CAN play his old style.

I can't really say about commitment. Players will surprise you. I would've thought Todd Bertuzzi would be committed to getting his career back on track with the Ducks. Woops.

Well, I wouldn't blame him for losing the courage to mix it up, whether that's earning potential or health related. And he's definitely become a power play specialist, but honestly, so has Selanne. IF that hip is really feeling that much better, he CAN play his old style.

I can't really say about commitment. Players will surprise you. I would've thought Todd Bertuzzi would be committed to getting his career back on track with the Ducks. Woops.

I may not necessarily blame him for losing courage, but it does make me not want him on the team.

As for Selanne, this season he was a power play specialist because his linemates blew. For the past few seasons he's been a threat in all situations. Kariya is four years younger, and at no time in his career has he shown the intensity and drive that Selanne has shown since arriving in Anaheim the second time. I don't think there is any comparison between the two.

As for commitment, I agree. You don't know what a player really cares about unless you know the guy. That's why I said, "I might be wrong". He might be committed to winning, and perhaps he thinks him being healthy, even if he's only giving it 85%, gives his team the best chance to win. I am guessing that he's thinking that giving it 85% will help him stay healthy so he can make more money, but like I said, I could be wrong. Either way, I don't want a guy giving it 85% on my team.

I may not necessarily blame him for losing courage, but it does make me not want him on the team.

As for Selanne, this season he was a power play specialist because his linemates blew. For the past few seasons he's been a threat in all situations. Kariya is four years younger, and at no time in his career has he shown the intensity and drive that Selanne has shown since arriving in Anaheim the second time. I don't think there is any comparison between the two.

As for commitment, I agree. You don't know what a player really cares about unless you know the guy. That's why I said, "I might be wrong". He might be committed to winning, and perhaps he thinks him being healthy, even if he's only giving it 85%, gives his team the best chance to win. I am guessing that he's thinking that giving it 85% will help him stay healthy so he can make more money, but like I said, I could be wrong. Either way, I don't want a guy giving it 85% on my team.

Well, I think it's a lot to assume that a guy will only give 85%. And more importantly, that any of us can tell the 15% difference without seeing him leave the next year and play better elsewhere. I wouldn't want an 85% guy on my team either, but then again, its' a job, a great job, but a job. And I've definitely had 85% days at jobs I've loved. I'll flat out agree, though. I wouldn't want anyone on the Ducks who wasn't giving it their all. Hope that's not a news flash on the noob poster, there.

On the Selanne thing, I was only pointing to the fact that since he came back, between 45-60% of his goals every season have been Power Play goals. He creates chances even strength, of course, but if your goal scoring is around 50% PPG, I consider you a power play specialist.

On the Selanne thing, I was only pointing to the fact that since he came back, between 45-60% of his goals every season have been Power Play goals. He creates chances even strength, of course, but if your goal scoring is around 50% PPG, I consider you a power play specialist.

Even if you need to point that out to prop up Kariya, it still leads inevitably to: fine, we already have a power play specialist. One that we like. One that has the respect and love of his teammates. One who isn't a heartless hockey bot.

You bounce between praising kariya's greatness and making excuses for why he isn't great. Maybe you should decide how you feel about the little bugger before you go evangelizing. You're not breaking any new ground here.

Yeah, sorry, I meant to address people that were reading the blog post. If you read the blog post, I brought up all of your excellent points in my reasons why bringing him back may not be attractive. ONCE AGAIN, don't if you don't want to. I'm not plugging my blog here.

I will counter by saying that Kariya was never the classic small forward. He skated into the corners and left with the puck. He says he feels better than he has in years after surgery on the other hip. If that's true, and none of us believed Selanne when HE said it, maybe he can still do that.

Then I would point out that Ryan was already beat out for a position on the top Power Play unit. You can call that health or chemistry, but Carlyle focused on making a deadly second unit in the end of the season run and playoffs. They got increased time, and much focus was put on developing Whitney's big shot and utilizing Wisniewski's wrister from the point. The team is clearly interested in a second unit, even if they didn't utilize one through most of the season.
I don't agree. He wasn't when he joined the league. He was (and is) post-Suter. What I remember most about him his later Ducks years was he'd skate into the zone like a flash, and then circle along the half wall and wait to dish to Selanne. Even on 2 on 1s. A couple years later, my favorite college basketball team had a backup point guard who would do the same thing (dribble into the zone, then pick up his dribble in no mans land on the ad sticker by the bench). I called the Tony Giovacchini move the "Paul Kariya play."

And how many PP specialists do we need? We have Selanne already. There's also Whitney. I don't think adding Kariya helps that since there's only so much PP time. I'd like a speedy 2-way type guy for the 2nd line (he can play with Selanne and Ebbett/Ryan) who doesn't necessarily create offensively, but can finish chances and not be a liability a la Berlousi. And with the way our team gets penalized, you'd think adding a PK specialists would be a lot more helpful than a PP specialist.

You bounce between praising kariya's greatness and making excuses for why he isn't great. Maybe you should decide how you feel about the little bugger before you go evangelizing. You're not breaking any new ground here.

I know exactly how I feel about him. I've never made an excuse for why he isn't great. I made a realistic evaluation of the fact that his speed has dropped and he's gotten more timid than he was in his early years. It's called age. He's also coming back from surgery on both hips. So, I doubt any of us can evaluate how "great" he is right now. But everything I've "evangelized" about his recent abilities I stick by: Powerplay machine, deadliest backhand in the game.

The problem with Kariya haters is that you want to make this ad hominem. That's why I pre-emptively defended myself. You're trying to paint me as confused or something because I don't hate him. I was simply discussing my position on whether or not Kariya is overpaid, his speed has dropped, he's a useless perimeter player, couldn't make the cut on the ducks PP depth chart-- All points snarktastic, sorry tacular, challenged me on.

And how many PP specialists do we need? We have Selanne already. There's also Whitney. I don't think adding Kariya helps that since there's only so much PP time. I'd like a speedy 2-way type guy for the 2nd line (he can play with Selanne and Ebbett/Ryan) who doesn't necessarily create offensively, but can finish chances and not be a liability a la Berlousi. And with the way our team gets penalized, you'd think adding a PK specialists would be a lot more helpful than a PP specialist.

Okay, I feel you guys are circling here. You're cutting back your argument and acting like what I'm saying is ancillary. Snark, you said that Kariya couldn't make the depth chart on our power play. I pointed out that neither could Ryan, and Carlyle was working to make a deadly second unit. That's the direction he's going. Disagree with him, if you'd like. I didn't say I believed in the benefits of it, just that your point about him making the depth chart wasn't particularly strong based on how we used PP time at the end of the season/playoffs. Kariya COULD make the chart, he is good on the power play, and I don't really believe there's such a thing as too many specialists. That's exactly what the Ducks had in their power play heyday: Kariya, Selanne, Olausson.

There are many things I'd like to see, too, but you challenged me on whether or not Kariya could make the depth chart, not on my vision of the Ducks team.

First off,

welcome to HF boards AC. I think you'll find we have a really good fanbase here.


As for Kariya, well there's a lot of bitterness here, and honestly nobody can say it really isn't justified. Personally I have mixed feelings, on the one hand he was a great player and a big part of Mighty Ducks history. On the other hand, he was kind of a dick and I never thought that he was the right person to be captain.

However, as far as I'm concerned, the fact that he watched us win the cup in '07 from his sofa is just about all the retribution I would wish on the guy.

As for him coming back, I could see maybe for a season at a discount, but I don't think he'd do it. Honestly though, Teemu's days are numbered and we really need to build a young, signed second line to go with our young signed first line. I don't really like the idea of a revolving door 2nd line every season that's filled with UFA's and 1 season contracts.

So in my opinion, it would be great to see Kariya play with Selanne for one season, but it's not really the answer to our problems.

He can keep rotting in mediocrity, playing for teams with no chance of winning a cup

Id take Kariya back if he takes a major discount and stops being a d!ck to all his fans. PS, am i the only one who would rather have Chris Madsen back in the booth over John Ahlers?

First off,

welcome to HF boards AC. I think you'll find we have a really good fanbase here.

Thanks for the welcome, D U C K S.

I'm aware of the bitterness and vitriol that Kariya evokes, and I would never have brought up his name this early in my HF posting career, but someone threw my hat into the ring. I haven't even answered Steven's question yet!

To do that, I would say that new management has changed very little. According to OC Register there were internal discussions before giving Ryan the number 9.

As far as the hate amongst fans, I think my fellow posters have painted that well. Kariya wasn't very warm to the Anaheim community. But I'm not from Anaheim. So it's hard to take that personally. And he did give me an autograph the one time I approached him for one. The rest of his behavior I discussed already.

As far as how realistic it is to EVER bring him back, as you asked, it would be tough this year. He's not a 6m player any more, though the Blues hold an opt out for this season, I believe. There's the chance that the hip surgeries will do wonders, and I was telling snarkyacular that we can't discount that any more than the Blues can rely on it. If he EVER came back, it would probably be a discount as a going away present to Teemu, though I think the ducks can accomplish that by signing koivu next month. Kariya can certainly contribute though we'd argue as to how, you can never have too many weapons, as every playoff season proves for every team. But kariya EVER coming back would probably be a form of closure at this age more than being any kind of key addition.

For those of you that assumed you knew what the blog post said, without reading it, I never said that kariya was an ideal addition, certainly not at 6m. And whether or not his return makes the team better or whether he'd even be coming back to this year's team, is not Steven's question as I read it.

Id take Kariya back if he takes a major discount and stops being a d!ck to all his fans. PS, am i the only one who would rather have Chris Madsen back in the booth over John Ahlers?

I liked him as well, what ever happen to him? Is he announcing for someone else?

I liked him as well, what ever happen to him? Is he announcing for someone else?

http://www.knx1070.com/pages/30814.php?contentType=4&contentId=135165

Best Duck Ever!

No really... I had an experience about a month ago. I was at the Lakes at El Segundo playing golf and as I finished, I walked around the clubhouse and there wasn't a soul around except my friend and I. All of a sudden around the corner is none other than Paul Kariya walking toward me with some old man. As I get close to him, I realize it is definitely him as he is wearing a St. Louis Blues shirt and St Louis Blues workout shorts.

I say "hey Paul Kariya, out of no where". I didn't really know what to say and I really couldn't careless about the guy but I figured I say something since all of the bad things you hear about him and what are the odds of seeing a pro hockey player on a golf course even if it was May? He proved those negative qualities to be accurate. The guy wouldn't even look at me let alone acknowledge me. He walked right by and didn't say a word. I seriously felt like calling him an a-hole but I just let it go. My friend had no idea who he was because he knows nothing about hockey.

I have no problem if somebody doesn't want attention, completely understand. There was not another person around besides my friend and the old dude he was with. Then if you don't want to be reckognized, why the **** are you wearing your team's shorts and shirt? A definite tool in my opinion. Oh and right after I go to the driving range to meet up with a few other friends and there is Paul shanking shots left and right on the driving range.

The guy wouldn't even look at me let alone acknowledge me. He walked right by and didn't say a word.

That right there is one of the reasons I don't like the guy. You see other players that only make league minimum go out of there way to greet a fan or a little kid but Kariya doesn't. Hey Joe, next time tell him to F off

lol typical Paul Kariya. Funny thing is that his brothers aren't stuck up d0uche bags like him. Next time you chuck a california roll at him and say fk you a hole.

lol typical Paul Kariya. Funny thing is that his brothers aren't stuck up d0uche bags like him. Next time you chuck a california roll at him and say fk you a hole.

Any particular reason this became racial?

Even if I didn't hate him more than I hate any other player in the league, and it were strictly a hockey evaluation, I still wouldn't want him back.

His performance for Nashville in the playoffs, like when he wouldn't even come back into his own zone on the PK in a must-win playoff game because he wanted to cherry pick, is simply unacceptable no matter how "deadly" his backhand is. And unless that PP "machine" is churning out 90 points a season, his downside just isn't worth it.

If this were just some random player, and not a former Duck, would anyone ever talk about bringing him in? Seriously ...

"Hey, there's this 35 year old guy who last played like a superstar about 11 years ago, and put up good numbers on a weak team while eating up gobs of PP time. Now he's strictly a perimeter player, he doesn't play defense, and his last 3 healthy seasons his goals have gone from 31 to 24 to 16. He made some embarrassing gaffes the last few times he was in the playoffs. He may have some durability issues now. Oh, and he's kind of a jerk, and other than Teemu he never got along with anyone. I think he's the perfect solution for our 2nd line!"

If you wanted a jerk that might actually do something good on the ice once in a while, you'd be better off taking a chance on Sean Avery.

http://www.knx1070.com/pages/30814.php?contentType=4&contentId=135165

Kind of odd for all his accomplishments he's working the radio in a local am station.

Even if I didn't hate him more than I hate any other player in the league, and it were strictly a hockey evaluation, I still wouldn't want him back.

His performance for Nashville in the playoffs, like when he wouldn't even come back into his own zone on the PK in a must-win playoff game because he wanted to cherry pick, is simply unacceptable no matter how "deadly" his backhand is. And unless that PP "machine" is churning out 90 points a season, his downside just isn't worth it.

If this were just some random player, and not a former Duck, would anyone ever talk about bringing him in? Seriously ...

"Hey, there's this 35 year old guy who last played like a superstar about 11 years ago, and put up good numbers on a weak team while eating up gobs of PP time. Now he's strictly a perimeter player, he doesn't play defense, and his last 3 healthy seasons his goals have gone from 31 to 24 to 16. He made some embarrassing gaffes the last few times he was in the playoffs. He may have some durability issues now. Oh, and he's kind of a jerk, and other than Teemu he never got along with anyone. I think he's the perfect solution for our 2nd line!"

If you wanted a jerk that might actually do something good on the ice once in a while, you'd be better off taking a chance on Sean Avery.
And it's not like you're pointing out hidden nuggets of wisdom. This topic comes up once every three weeks and there are always sanctimonious long-winded turds around to try and rehab our feelings towards him.

He squeezed every dime that he could out of us, took the paycut we needed him to take for some other team that had never given him anything and some other fans who never cared less about him, after saying he wouldn't. He's not an impact player, not a good role model, and not a good option at his price range. That is enough for most of us. Pointing out that he can produce on the power play or that his hips was a-hurtin' doesn't mitigate any of the myriad negatives that he brings.

To answer the thread question specifically: not as long as there are people in charge with sensibilities that value on-ice character and effective minutes in all situations from a top 6 forward.

As the previous poster said, Kariya is the poster boy for playoff failure.

I'd like us to create a sticky poll of Kariya returning the Ducks so that no passerby ever thinks we'd actually want him back on the team.

he's entering his final year. kariya to selanne and vice versa.. make it happen! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0CrARZLocc
This is like my monthly post that drew me to log in.
I want that back Just imagine Kariya Selanne Getzlaf Perry. Maybe our first line can consist of Selanne Getzlaf and Kariya. Perry and Ryan would do just fine without Getzlaf. That team would be so much fun to watch especially on the Powerplay. Now the real icing on the cake we get Andy to center Selanne and Kariya. I would sell my soul to the devil just to see this happen.:yo::handclap::D Where do I sign the contract?

Who cares about the past I got over most of my anger when we won a cup without him. Then the rest comes back whenever I see his face.

Why stop there? Bring back Terry Yake while you're at it. Maybe re-stock the defense with Havelid and Marshall. After all, those were the days, right?

I just don't understand, with the great success we've seen lately, why some fans seem to want to turn the clock back to the days of suckage. It'd be like Laker fans going, "You know, the championship is great and all, but can't we bring back Kwame Brown and Smush Parker?"

Why stop there? Bring back Terry Yake while you're at it. Maybe re-stock the defense with Havelid and Marshall. After all, those were the days, right?

I just don't understand, with the great success we've seen lately, why some fans seem to want to turn the clock back to the days of suckage. It'd be like Laker fans going, "You know, the championship is great and all, but can't we bring back Kwame Brown and Smush Parker?"

Because I have no faith in Drew Miller.:sarcasm: Let me reminisce!

This line would rock:

Paul Kariya - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne :yo:

This line would rock:

Paul Kariya - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne :yo:

Sure it would ... on EA's NHL 99. Too bad real hockey isn't anything like video games.