Kariya Is Named Captain

Paul Kariya will wear the captain’s “C” as soon as he joins the lineup, but defenseman Bobby Dollas will be acting captain until Kariya returns from the abdominal muscle injury that caused him to miss the exhibition season.

“It’s a nice honor,” Kariya, 21, said. “Obviously I’m very pleased with it. I don’t think it will change the way I look at things. Everybody’s got to be a leader.”

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Kariya received positive results from an MRI exam of his abdomen and back Wednesday but still considers it unlikely he’ll play in the season opener Saturday at Toronto--and perhaps not during the five-game trip.

“I’d still like to practice with the team a couple of times first,” he said.

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First-round draft pick Ruslan Salei, defenseman Adrian Plavsic and forward Joe Day survived the final cut.