Kariya Ready to Practice but Not Play

Fit enough to practice is one thing, but fit enough to play is quite another, Paul Kariya said after his first practice with the Mighty Ducks this season.

Kariya, recovering from an abdominal injury, had a smile on his face and a jump in his stride as he went through a two-hour workout.

“It was awesome to be out there,” said Kariya, a 50-goal scorer last season. “I was so excited I couldn’t get much sleep [Friday] night.”

However, Kariya said he doesn’t know when he’ll be sound enough to play in a game. He will not play tonight against Calgary.

“I didn’t have any timing at all,” he said. “I haven’t passed the puck to anyone in five months. It’s a cliche, but it’s day to day. We’ll just have to see how it goes.”

Said General Manager Jack Ferreira: “It was good to see him out there, but it will be even better when he’s in a game. The most encouraging thing was his enthusiasm. I hope that permeates through the team.”

Without Kariya, the Ducks are 1-7-2 and off to their worst start in franchise history.

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Since Teemu Selanne was acquired from Winnipeg last Feb. 7, the Ducks are 17-8-3 when he and Kariya are in the lineup. But they are 1-8-2 when only one plays. Selanne has missed one game since the trade and Kariya 10 games. . . . The league decided not to suspend Steve Rice of Hartford for a check that gave Duck winger Valeri Karpov a concussion Thursday.