Paul Kariya will miss the entire 2010-11 season due to post-concussion symptoms, his agent Don Baizley said in a statement Friday.
There was some mutual interest between the Ducks and their former captain, who spent the last three seasons with the St. Louis Blues and last played for Anaheim in the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals. Kariya missed six games after sustaining a concussion in a game last December. It is not known if the 35-year-old free agent – who had multiple concussions earlier in his career – has had another since.
This latest news calls into question whether Kariya, a 16-year NHL veteran, will ever play again. For now, it puts to rest any rumors that the Ducks would bring him back next season, a prospect that was met with mixed reactions from fans.
Kariya was limited to 11 games in 2008-09 because of hip surgery. He returned in 2009-10 to score 18 goals and 43 points in 75 games.