Paul Kariya will not play in the upcoming NHL season. After consulting with concussion specialist Dr. Mark Lovell, Kariya has decided to sit out the 2010-2011 season due to post-concussion syndrome.
Prior to this announcement, Kariya was being pursued by friend and former teammate Teemu Selanne to join him in signing with the Anaheim Ducks.
Kariya, a free agent who played the last three seasons with the Blues, has a history of concussions—his most recent coming on Dec. 27 when he was elbowed by Buffalo Sabres player Patrick Kaleta. Kariya missed six consecutive games after the incident.
Most concussion experts say that the effects of blows to head are cumulative, with each injury worse than the one that came before. The long-term effects of concussions are not truly known since they have not been studied in depth until recently.
In November 1996, he was elbowed by Toronto defenseman Mathieu Schneider. Schneider was suspended for three games for the hit, while Kariya was forced to sit out two games.
In February 1998, Gary Suter delivered a two-handed crosscheck to Kariya's face. Kariya was defenseless on the ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Trent Reinsmith
Is Paul Kariya’s Hockey Career Over?
August 28th, 2010 by Trent Reinsmith Leave a reply »
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