Q&A: Kariya, Niedermayer Discuss GM Search, Selecting Pat Verbeek

Faced with the critical decision of who would guide the Ducks and their exciting young core into the future, owners Henry and Susan Samueli turned to three familiar faces - franchise legends Scott Niedermayer, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne - for assistance in selecting the right position for the job.
Alongside CEO Michael Schulman and President of Business Operations Aaron Teats, the Hockey Hall of Famers were instrumental in conducting an exhaustive search, ultimately agreeing former Detroit Red Wings assistant General Manager and two-time Stanley Cup champion Pat Verbeek was the best person to lead the Ducks forward.
Niedermayer will also take on an enhanced role in determining Anaheim's future outlook, officially serving as Special Advisor to Hockey Operations.
Niedermayer and Kariya met with the media today to discuss their roles in the process, what drew them to Verbeek and their involvement with the club going forward.

PAUL KARIYA
On the GM Search
The first thing we talked about was a GM has to have a great eye for picking out talent, not just in players but in coaches and scouts. Pat's ability to judge talent is elite. His character, integrity and leadership are top notch. What I think is going to separate Patty from other guys is his work ethic. No one is going to outwork Pat Verbeek.
Going through the process, Pat was really at the top of our list at the beginning and through the process. At the end, we're so happy to have him here.
On playing against him during their careers
I was joking around with him that I think I have a few marks on my body from him sticking me over the years. We actually played in the 1994 World Championships together and won a gold for Canada. I got to know him a little bit through the union. When I was a young player I was a union rep and so was he, so we got to know each other at the union meetings in the summer time a lot.
On being on the search committee
I was very honored. I know I can speak for Teemu and Scott, we were all very honored to have the Samuelis ask us to be a part of this committee. It was a huge honor, and we really enjoyed the process. It was a lot of fun. We're ecstatic with bringing Pat in here.
It was a great experience. Henry and I have an understanding that he knows that I am available for the team whenever I'm needed.
On helping the organization and paying it forward to young players
I live here. This is my home. They know that whatever it is, if they want me to speak with a player or take a guy out to lunch, something like that, I'm available. That's something that through my career, many players did for me. That's the least I can do to give back to the game, this community and the Ducks, because so many guys did that for me in my career.
On Pat Verbeek
Going through the process, the biggest thing we kept coming back to was we want to judge a guy on what he's accomplished, not on what he says in an interview. When you look at Pat's career after he retired, he's put the work in. He's been a part of what is now a back-to-back Stanley Cup winning team in Tampa. That's a very similar market to Anaheim, he knows how to do that. Even recently with Detroit, look at the turnaround Detroit has made in a very short time.
He is elite. I think the Ducks right now have one of the top GMs in the league, and he's just going to get better.
On Verbeek's work ethic
I think he has something to prove. He really wants to build a winner here. Speaking with him and going through the process, there has been nothing he's said that we have not agreed with. He knows how to build championship teams. He knows what to look for, he knows what this team is lacking and how to provide it.
On the direction of the franchise
It's a great situation to come into. There are a lot of difficult pieces for other teams to get, the Ducks have [already]. There's some high-end talent here. The Ducks need to get bigger, stronger and faster. That's something Pat knows and he's been able to find. To be able to have guys like Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, that high-end talent is very difficult to find. It's here and it's in young players that are just going to get better.
On the league-wide interest in the Ducks GM position
It was very attractive for a lot of people. We were never going to have any problems convincing someone to come here. That was never going to be an issue.
On Niedermayer's new role
Scott is the greatest champion of our generation. He's a winner. To me, he's a best friend of mine for years. I've always thought, with his knowledge and what he brings to the organization, he wasn't in the right spot. He needs to be in an elevated role where his experiences in the game can help this team win Cups. I'm really happy for him and happy for the organization to have Scott in an elevated role.
Scott Niedermayer is one of the greatest people I've ever met in my life as a human being. Forget about anything he's done on the ice. It's so important for an organization to have that quality of person at the top. Pat is the exact same way. Just an incredible human being on top of what he is as a manager.
On how he and Niedermayer see the game
Scott and I see each other and talk to each other all the time. His idea of hockey and how the game should be played, mine and Teemu's are very similar. With Pat, we're sitting at the table with him, and we all said the same thing - there's nothing he said that we don't agree with one-hundred percent. There's only so many voices you need in an organization and those two guys are great voices to have for the Ducks.
SCOTT NIEDERMAYER
On Pat Verbeek
I didn't know Pat prior to interviewing him. I played against him a lot, and I knew he was a competitor. To me, that's a good place to start, when someone is willing and able to be that committed to helping his team win. I would imagine he'll do no different in management as he did as a player. He's proven that as well through his time in management and the amount of work he's done. He's learned with good people and worked with good people.We're really happy we ended up with Pat and that he's here now.
On what led the search committee to Verbeek
At the start, it was a lot of names getting tossed around. We all believed Pat had done a good job with Tampa and Detroit. Tampa is obviously the two-time defending Stanley Cup champ, pretty good team [laughs]. They made a lot of smart moves there. That right away grabs your attention. I mentioned Pat's competitive nature, which right away to me, stood out as well. This is a guy you want working for you, playing with you, because he's going to do whatever he can to help your organization have success. Those things were obvious and then you have to sit down with somebody and dig a bit deeper, which we did. Everything kind of confirmed what we thought.
It was fun. We had some different people with different perspectives on what we wanted to see in the general manager position for the Ducks, and by the end of it we all agreed on where we ended up. That was great.
On Verbeek's experience
For me, what stood out with Pat was how he talked about the little things about how you're going to win championships on the ice. As an ex-player, that was something I was really glad to hear. It's not easy to do that. It's not easy to win a championship. It takes a massive commitment. You have to put the team before yourself. There are a lot of things that have to be done and that culture has to be there every single day with everybody in the room. Players, management, coaches and staff, everybody has to be thinking the same way. That's what Pat talked about and that's what Pat is going to expect from this team and organization. That's the way you get to where we all want to get to.
On playing against Verbeek during their NHL careers
Pat was a competitor. There was no doubt. When you laced up your skates and you were going to play whatever team he was on, for me as a d-man, I knew it was going to be a battle in the corner and in front of the net. He's not a big guy but he was going to make it very difficult. That was well-known to anyone who was playing against him.
On his new role as Special Advisor to Hockey Operations
It's a good opportunity for me to get more involved than I have in the last few years. Pat seemed open to exploring that and wanted my input on different things. It'll be a work in progress over time but I'm excited about it. This team is headed in the right direction right now and it's exciting to be pushing in that same way.
On being involved in management
What appeals to me is the competitive side of the game. You see the team go out and start to have some success and that's exciting, that's why everybody plays. Whether I can help in that type of role, coaching, player development, I'm game for all of it. This will be a little different, being on the management side after I had helped coach for a few years. My attitude is to be a member of this team and try to help the team get better. Whatever is asked of me, that is my aim.
On being a member of the Ducks community
I could not have asked for a better situation when I came here. I was treated very well and we had success. I definitely have a connection with the team here. With the friends and the teammates, all the things you gain when you come to a new organization, this is a place I care about and am happy to try to help.