When we first heard both Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya would be inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame together this November, we couldn’t have been happier. But almost immediately after we began questioning whether Kariya would show up in Toronto for November’s Hall of Fame weekend?
When Kariya retired from the National Hockey League after a series of concussions, the legend disappeared from the hockey world almost completely. In a March interview on TSN analyst Ray Ferraro’s Pulp Hockey podcast, Kariya’s former teammate, and fellow 2017 HOF inductee, Selanne opened up about how the Anaheim Ducks would like to welcome Kariya back with open arms, but Kariya is “very bitter about hockey.”
The interview can be listened to at the Pulp Hockey podcast link, and the excerpt NBC Sports took from the interview can be found below:
At a point in their careers, Kariya and Selanne were thought of as a dynamic duo of sorts. There was certain magic both on and off the ice between the linemates, and after hearing Selanne talk about how bitter Kariya is about the game, one can’t help but feel incredibly sad for Kariya.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed Kariya does show up for the Hall of Fame weekend, and also hope to see the legend back in Anaheim real soon!
(H/T NBC Sports)
