Kariya Gives Up College Eligibility to Focus on Contract Negotiations

Paul Kariya is giving up his college eligibility to turn professional--but that doesn’t mean he’s close to agreeing to contract terms with the Mighty Ducks.

“He’s made the decision to leave school,” said Don Baizley, Kariya’s legal adviser. “(But) right now, it looks like we won’t have a deal in the short run.” He defined “short run” as the rest of the season.

Still, the decision means Kariya, a sophomore, can negotiate openly with the Ducks instead of only listening to offers--in order to protect his NCAA eligibility. It also means the Ducks, who picked him fourth overall in the 1993 entry draft, don’t have to worry about the Canadian Olympic star returning to Maine next fall.

However, the sides remain far apart. The Ducks have offered at least $850,000 a year--and perhaps close to $1 million a year--that is slotted between the contracts signed by last year’s Nos. 3 and 5 picks. Kariya is reportedly seeking as much as $1.5 million a year, which is more than Petr Nedved, an NHL veteran and Kariya’s teammate on the Canadian Olympic team, received when he signed an offer sheet worth $1.35 million a year with St. Louis.

“This doesn’t mean we’ll get a deal done any faster,” said Ducks’ President Tony Tavares. “I would say it removes an impediment to making a deal.

“It increases the possibility of coming to an agreement this year, but it’s impossible to predict how long negotiations are going to take.

“Before, we were just sitting around throwing darts in the ocean, not knowing where the bull’s-eye was. At least now we know where the board’s at.”