Kariya having jersey retired by Ducks 'far beyond any dream'

ANAHEIM -- Paul Kariya had his No. 9 jersey retired by the Anaheim Ducks before their game against the Buffalo Sabres at Honda Center on Sunday.

"I would say it's a dream come true, but it's far beyond any dream that I ever had," Kariya said.
Kariya, who was the first draft pick of the Mighty Ducks when they selected him No. 4 in the 1993 NHL Draft, played his first nine NHL seasons in Anaheim (1994-2003), including seven as captain, and is fourth in Ducks history with 669 points (300 goals, 369 assists) in 606 games.
He scored a career-high 50 goals in the 1995-96 season and was the first Mighty Ducks player to be named to the First All-Star Team. In 2003, he helped Anaheim advance to its first Stanley Cup Final, where it lost to the New Jersey Devils in seven games.

Teemu Selanne, Steve Rucchin and Scott Niedermayer were among the former teammates on hand for the pregame presentation, as well as Los Angeles Kings president Luc Robitaille.
"He's so humble, he doesn't think he deserves this," Selanne said. "We don't care."
Kariya is the second Ducks player to have his jersey retired. Selanne, his former linemate, had his No. 8 retired Jan. 11, 2015.
Niedermayer will have his No. 27 retired Feb. 17, 2019.
"I would never say or think that I'm deserving of any recognition, certainly not something of this magnitude," Kariya said. "I'm very proud of my career and what I've accomplished, and what I've accomplished in the game, but something like this is out of the realm of what I deserved as a player. I guess you can say I was outvoted."
Kariya, who retired from the NHL after the 2009-10 season, had 989 points (402 goals, 587 assists) in 989 games with the Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues. A two-time Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner (1996-97), he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017 alongside Selanne.
"He will always be remembered for being the mightiest of the Mighty Ducks," said David McNab, the senior vice president of hockey operations for the Ducks.'"