A presentation to commemorate the retirement will take place at intermission of the Alumni Hockey Game, Sunday, July 1, at 4:00 p.m. Tickets for the Alumni Hockey Game will go on sale Monday, June 25 and will be available via walk-up sales only at the UMaine Athletic Ticket Office located in Alfond Arena. Admission is $3 for adults, and $1 for children and all seats are general admission.
Paul Kariya played hockey at the University of Maine from 1992 to 1994, serving as captain of the team as a sophomore. He helped lead his 1992-93 team to a 42-1-2 record, one of the best seasons in college hockey history, and Maine's first Division I team national championship. That season Maine won the Hockey East regular season and tournament titles, then came from behind in the third period to win the championship in dramatic fashion.
He is the first and only freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's best college hockey player. He also earned All-American and All-New England status. He received the Hockey East and New England Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in 1993.
He set University of Maine records for assists (75) and points (100) in a season in his first year with the Black Bear hockey program. He also shares University marks for assists (5) and points (6) in a game. As a sophomore he served as a captain.
He represented Canada in the 1994 Olympic games and went on to play professionally in the National Hockey League with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, where he has gained All-Star honors. He was named to the Hockey East All-Decade team. He was inducted into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
Kariya joins Scott Pellerin (#8) and Jim Montgomery (#19) as UMaine ice hockey players with retired numbers. He is the 13th Black Bear to have a number retired, joining basketball players Cindy Blodgett (#14), Rachel Bouchard (#43), Liz Coffin (#44), Emily Ellis Throckmorton (#40), Skip Chappelle (#34), Keith Mahaney (#24), baseball program representatives Jack Butterfield (#21), Bill Swift (#8), John Winkin (#5), and soccer player Jeff Spring (#1).
Source: Goblackbears