Only a Coincidence? You Make the Call

Far be it from us to imply that Disney’s latest move was a direct attempt to avoid the suburban apocalypse at the Pond tonight if Ron Wilson had been there, and Paul Kariya had not.

We’ll let others.

Said Joe Sacco: “It’s a little strange. . . . I’ll leave it at that.”

Said Warren Rychel: “It’s kind of funny timing when you think about it.”

Said Scott Young: “This sure changes things. Before, Ron coming back would be played way up here [holding his hand high]. Now, it will be played way down here [holding his hand low].”

The above three gentlemen skate for the Ducks, which should tell Disney all it needs to know about the effect of Kariya’s 32-game absence.

There is no proof that Kariya was signed just in time to overshadow tonight’s return of former coach Ron Wilson with his Washington Capitals.

But most think that’s exactly what happened.

Not that Disney lost any credibility during the six months of pitiful negotiations with the best young player in the sport.

But most think it was visions of thundering Topsiders and raging red sweaters and a bunch of guys throwing biscotti--not visions of victories--that caused Disney to finally sign him.

Most, including Disney’s own players.

“If this is anything but an amazing coincidence, then shame on some people,” Wilson said of the timing.

Too late for that.

It was shame on Disney from the moment it allowed the season to start without Kariya.

Thursday’s celebration illustrated just how badly Disney has blown it.

Usually when a highly paid player returns after sitting out for more money, some teammates give him grief.

Kariya was treated as if he had just been released from foreign captivity.

“I was so excited, I couldn’t sleep last night,” Teemu Selanne said. “I kept thinking, ‘Paul’s back, Paul’s back.’ ”

Usually after a star watches his blue-collar team fail to win 21 of 32 games while waiting to be paid more money than many will make in their careers, some teammates question his selfishness.

Kariya was treated like a philanthropist.

“This is like a rebirth for us,” Rychel said.

Several times, Kariya summed his holdout by saying, “There are no winners here. Everybody lost.”

Sometime during player introductions tonight, he will understand just how wrong he is.

He won. Disney lost.

He will be greeted as a hero. Ron Wilson will be greeted as a hero.

For a few deafening seconds, more than 17,000 fans will be acutely reminded that Disney was the organization that wronged them both.

So what really happened? Why did Disney and Kariya need only 3 1/2 hours to complete negotiations that began last June?

Actually, three things happened.

On Tuesday, Kariya realized he had only one week to sign before leaving on an overseas trip with the Canadian national team that wouldn’t end until it was time to get serious about the Olympics.

On Wednesday morning, Disney officials read an article in this newspaper that featured Selanne wondering whether the team was serious about competing.

On Wednesday afternoon, they looked at the schedule.

All three things came together when Duck management received a proposal from Kariya that it might have dismissed last summer. It was only for two seasons. Disney wanted to lock him up for at least five.

“It would have to be that kind of deal, or no deal,” Kariya said.

So just as the evil knight began knocking on the front door, Disney found the strength to pull its prized sword from the stone. Or something like that.

It works in a movie, but a movie needs to fool you only once. Disney keeps trying again and again, with both the Ducks and Angels, causing more people to throw up their hands with every new plot.

Would the Ducks have signed Kariya without his sudden interest in joining the team before the Olympics? No.

But would it have happened so fast if Wilson weren’t returning today? Probably not.

“A complete coincidence,” said Jack Ferreira, Duck general manager.

Not that reality matters, either to them or to us. No matter what Disney does now--and this incident proves it--everyone will expect the worst.

It is not fair, but it is the only way to buffet our emotions against the next time Disney decides to fire a popular coach or play hardball with a popular scorer.

With Kariya back, this is a new team, an exciting team. It will be worth watching. It could advance past the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It could make more of the magic that captivated a community last spring.

It’s OK to start following them again. Just don’t fall in love. Not so fast. Not until the people who run the operation can last an entire season without breaking our hearts or making us wonder.

Burned once, shame on them. Burned twice, shame on us.