Paul Kariya - Playing Style

Playing Style

Kariya was known for his skilled and entertaining style of play. An offensive player, he was a fast skater with strong puck-handling and passing abilities. Prior to and early in his NHL career, Kariya drew comparisons to Wayne Gretzky. During the 1994 Winter Olympics, American head coach Tim Taylor likened his skating and playmaking ability to Gretzky's, while Kariya's linemate, Chris Kontos, described his on-ice vision as "Gretzky-like". Canadian head coach Tom Renney heralded him as "think and play at a better speed than anybody else," adding that his teammates "are usually a half-step behind him." His speed made him particularly adept in international competition, as games were played on a larger ice surface in comparison to the NHL. Following his first NHL goal against the Winnipeg Jets, opposing coach John Paddock told reporters, "like with Gretzky the puck seems to following him around... It looks like he's cherry-picking, but he's not. That's just great instinct." Kariya himself cited Gretzky, as well as Brett Hull, Jeremy Roenick and Pavel Bure as players he liked patterning his game after. Kariya was also recognized for his "hockey sense" and the cerebral aspect of his game, which included analyzing the game at a high level. His first NHL coach, Ron Wilson, also once described Kariya as "the hardest-working athlete ever been associated with".

While recognized primarily as a playmaker leading up to his NHL career, Kariya was forced into shooting more as the Mighty Ducks lacked scorers in his first two seasons with the team. During his third NHL season, he commented that "If Teemu had been here right off the bat, then maybe I wouldn't have focused so much on shooting." Kariya was able to put many shots on goal due to his quick release. In 1998–99, he led the league with 429 shots on goal, which at the time was the second-highest recorded total in NHL history. Nonetheless maintaining his passing ability, Kariya was particularly adept at making plays from deep in the offensive zone and beside the opposing team's net.