Ducks’ No. 1 Draft Pick Kariya to Start the Season at Maine

Paul Kariya, the Mighty Ducks’ No. 1 draft pick in June, has decided to return to the University of Maine for the fall semester and play for Canada in the Olympics before beginning his professional career.

His decision is fine with the Ducks, who made him the fourth selection overall in June’s entry draft. General Manager Jack Ferreira has encouraged Kariya to play in the Olympics this winter at Lillehammer, calling it a good developmental opportunity and an honor too rare to pass up.

The main decision Kariya faced was whether to return to college in September or join the Canadian Olympic team Sept. 1 at a training camp in Calgary.

“It came down to academics,” said Kariya, who as a freshman last season won the Hobey Baker Award as the top U.S. college hockey player while leading Maine to the NCAA title. “Basically, I just felt that one more semester of schooling would really help me in the long run, and make it a lot easier for me to return to school later because I’ll have finished almost two years.”

Kariya plans to return to campus for fall classes early next month and begin practicing Oct. 1 for the college season, which will open with an exhibition against the U.S. Olympic team Oct. 17. He is expected to play in 15 to 20 of Maine’s 36 regular-season games before joining the Canadian Olympic team in mid-December before the Isvestia tournament in Russia.

Before making his decision, Dan Dube, co-coach of the Canadian Olympic team, said Kariya would be free to join the team late.

“Based on his talent, we for sure will take him when he would be willing to join us,” Dube said. “He’s that good. There’s no doubt in our mind, he’s that good. We just want him to be here in time to jell with the team and have that chemistry in place for Lillehammer. We’d like him to be with us for Isvestia in December.”

Kariya said he finalized his plans after meeting with the Olympic coaches and Ferreira.

“When I spoke with Ferreira (last week) I pretty much made up my (mind) about what I was going to do,” Kariya said. “They said their biggest thing was that I play in the Olympics. They didn’t mind whether I went to school or straight to the Olympic team.

“That helped make my decision right there. I really appreciate that they let me decide and backed my decision. Not many teams would do that, and they never pressured me.”

Ferreira is expected to try to sign the playmaking left winger after the conclusion of the Games, but Kariya said he hasn’t decided whether to turn pro immediately afterward or return to Maine for the end of the season.

“That’s completely up in the air,” Kariya said.

He could join the Ducks late in their inaugural season, or return to Maine and join the Ducks for training camp before their second season. He added that he is looking into securing an insurance policy that would compensate him should he suffer a career-threatening injury before signing a professional contract.

In theory, Kariya could repeat as the Hobey Baker winner, but he and Maine Coach Shawn Walsh dismissed the idea.

“I think he’ll miss too much of the season,” Walsh said. “There’s no question who the best player will be, but the problem is, he won’t play enough games.”

Walsh, predictably, is pleased with Kariya’s plans.

“He has always been one who makes smart, long-term decisions,” Walsh said. “I actually have never seen a player leave too late. I’ve only seen guys get burned when they left too soon.

“He’s going to be our captain at the start of the season and be our leader. We’ll be a young, rebuilding kind of team, and I can see him down the road playing a role like that with the Ducks.”

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Free-agent left winger Denny Lambert, 23, has signed, the Ducks announced. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Lambert, a 5-foot-11, 200-pounder from Wawa, Canada, had 18 goals and 12 assists in 56 games for the San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League last season. He was also the Gulls’ most valuable player in 1991-92.