Kariya Scratched in Season Opener

The answer was no.

In the end, Paul Kariya had no say in the decision to sit out the Ducks’ season opener Saturday against the Dallas Stars. Coach Craig Hartsburg didn’t want an argument or take the chance of being swayed.

Hartsburg indicated Kariya, who was sidelined for almost all of training camp because of a sore left hip, would play Tuesday against the Phoenix Coyotes.

“You’ve got to do things for reasons beyond your own selfishness,” Hartsburg said when asked if he was tempted to play Kariya to be at full strength against the Stanley Cup champion Stars.

Asked if Kariya lobbied to play, Hartsburg said, “I didn’t give him the chance. I know they all want to play. We feel this is the right thing for Paul.”

So, instead of preparing for Saturday night with a light workout Saturday morning, Kariya skated for more than an hour with fellow scratches Stu Grimson and Kevin Haller.

Grimson did not play because of a strained neck. Haller was sidelined because he is not yet healthy after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery the first week of training camp.

Like Kariya, Grimson and Haller are expected to be fit to play Tuesday against the Coyotes.

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The Ducks set a franchise record before playing their first game. Their opening-night payroll was an all-time high of about $35 million, according to figures supplied by the NHL Players’ Assn.

Last season, the Ducks’ opening-night payroll was a bit more than $30 million. They had seven players making $1 million or more, led by Kariya’s $8.5-million salary.

This season, eight players are making $1 million or more. Kariya again leads the team with a $10-million salary. Teemu Selanne is next at $5.45 million, followed by Guy Hebert at $4.5 million.

“No money,” said Pierre Gauthier, team president and general manager, when asked for comment. “I’m spending the whole season without talking about money. The focus is on hockey.”