"It was funny because she went into a Starbucks and somebody came up to her and said, 'way to show your team spirit and support for the team,' to her," said Kariya. "He had absolutely no idea who she was."

Those and so many other Olympic memories are what have been keeping the North Vancouver star going these days as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim close down yet another dismal season.

His foot, which was giving him so much trouble at this time last year, is much better, and he's keen to point out that his body hasn't been healthier in a good long while.

"My foot's fine, I feel good physically," he says. "Mentally, I'm on suicide watch."

Kariya is getting tired of losing and, like every other player in that situation, he would like to see it change.

But this summer he has a decision to make, and he has all the power. He must decide whether to give up on the Ducks. He will become a restricted free agent this season and, if he's willing to take less money, it essentially is within his power first to ask politely, and then to force the Ducks to move him where he wants to go.

This summer Anaheim must qualify Kariya at around $10 million US to maintain his NHL rights. And, if he really was interested in money, he almost certainly would just keep a good monetary thing going, sign and quietly mumble about loyalty to his organization.

If he cares about his mental health, about winning, and even, ultimately, the long-term health of the Ducks, he will pass on the qualifying offer and refuse to sign anything the team puts in front of him. Such a move might mean less money in his pocket but a change in scenery almost certainly would re-energize this great player, who has been pretty much alone in an organization that cares nothing about winning.

Not really wanting to tip his hand, Kariya is saying only that he and Winnipeg agent Don Baizley have to "sit down and think about the future."

GM Pierre Gauthier says he intends to do his best to keep Kariya. But then this is the guy who said he wasn't going to trade Teemu Selanne and that he wasn't going to leave Quebec to become the Ducks' GM. Further, there is no guarantee that Gauthier even will be in the position of making the decision this summer, with many around the NHL expecting the axe to fall as soon as the season ends.

But even that is irrelevant. Kariya can control his own future.

Clearly he enjoyed winning in Salt Lake. Saturday the glee was written all over his face at just the memory of the great things that were accomplished. If he were to end up in some place like Dallas, playing with Mike Modano next season, a Stanley Cup isn't out of the question.

It has become fashionable for media people around the league to sound the poor-Paul trumpet in describing his situation in Anaheim. This summer, all that stuff stops. Kariya will make his own bed and will lie in it, whether it's in Anaheim, in Dallas or any other NHL city. He can name his own destination simply by agreeing to sign with any team he chooses. He may have to sit out a while to get to a team of his choosing but he still lives a relatively moderate lifestyle and the loss of income for a month or two won't cause hardship.

No more poor, hard-done-by Paul. If he goes back to Anaheim, he deserves all he gets. This is the summer we find out what's important to him.

Source: face-off