Martin Kariya

Martin Tetsuya Kariya (born October 5, 1981 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a professional ice hockey right winger for HC Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss Hockey League. 
==Playing career==
===Amateur===
Kariya had a standout NCAA college hockey career at the University of Maine from 1999 to 2003 while earning a degree in Mathematics. During his four years at the University of Maine, the team made 2 Frozen Four appearances. In Martin's junior college season the Black Bears reached the 2001–02 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship final game where they suffered a disappointing 4-3 OT loss to the University of Minnesota. Martin was the captain of the team in his senior year and was also the top scorer with 50 points in 39 games. Martin was awarded the Len Ceglarski Sportsmanship Award and named to Hockey East First All-Star Team. He finished his Black Bear career 11th in all-time scoring with 155 points and was subsequently named in Maine's All Decade Team.
===Professional===
Kariya's outstanding college hockey career caught the attention of the Portland Pirates of the AHL, who offered him a contract to join their team for the 2002–03 playoffs. On July 22, 2003, Martin then signed with the New York Islanders affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for the 2003–04 season. 
The 2004 NHL Lockout was a bump in the road for Kariya. Rather than waiting for the NHL season to resume, Martin headed to Japan to play for the Nikko IceBucks in the Asian Hockey League where he was a favorite with Japanese hockey fans. Next he played in Fredrikstad Norway for Stjernen HC and recorded 52 points in 39 games. This caught the attention of hockey scouts from Europe's top leagues and led to Martin signing with the Espoo Blues of the Finnish SM-liiga for the 2006-2007 season. Martin's speed and skill helped him to dominate the Finnish league. He was the top scorer with 61 points in 51 games and was considered arguably the best forward in the league. 
Having had so much success in Europe, Martin then signed his first NHL contract with the St. Louis Blues on June 1, 2007, for the following 2007–08 season. On October 1, 2007, Kariya was among the final cuts as he was assigned to affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen. Kariya enjoyed his most successful season in the AHL recording 53 points in 71 games. 
For the 2008–09 season he returned to Europe to play in the lucrative Swiss League where he finished 5th in the league's scoring standings and was a key player for the SCL Tigers. On July 15, 2009, Kariya signed with the Dinamo Riga of the KHL. In the 2009–10 season, Martin established himself as an integral part of Riga's offense scoring 22 points in 38 games. Kariya was limited to 38 games after suffering a well publicized concussion in which the KHL was criticized over the immediate medical protocol to his condition. Upon his return, Kariya helped Riga past the first round in the playoffs, leading the KHL with 5 points in 4 games against SKA St. Petersburg after the first round.
On May 3, 2010, Kariya returned to the NLA, signing a two-year contract with HC Ambri-Piotta.
===International play===
Kariya has had several opportunities to represent Canada in international ice hockey competition. These include the 2005 Loto Cup, the 2005, 2008 and 2010 Spengler Cup, the 2006 Deutschland Cup and the 2007 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships in Moscow.
==Awards==
*2002–03 HE Len Ceglarski Sportsmanship Award
*2002–03 HE First All-Star Team
*2006–07 SM-Liiga Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy
==Career statistics== 
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1999–00 	University of Maine 	HE 		35 	8 	17 	25 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	University of Maine 	HE 		39 	12 	24 	36 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	University of Maine 	HE 		43 	16 	28 	44 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	University of Maine 	HE 		39 	14 	36 	50 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Portland Pirates 	AHL 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 		3 	0 	0 	0 	0
2003–04 	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL 		70 	8 	17 	25 	16 		7 	0 	1 	1 	2
2004–05 	Nikkō Ice Bucks 	ALH 		15 	6 	12 	18 	20 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Stjernen Fredrikstad 	GET 		39 	15 	37 	52 	49 		11 	3 	10 	13 	8
2006–07 	Blues 	SM-l 		51 	18 	43 	61 	58 		9 	0 	5 	5 	4
2007–08 	Peoria Rivermen 	AHL 		71 	16 	37 	53 	29 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	SCL Tigers 	NLA 		50 	15 	43 	58 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Dinamo Riga 	KHL 		38 	4 	18 	22 	16 		9 	3 	2 	5 	2
2010–11 	HC Ambrì-Piotta 	NLA 		38 	5 	21 	26 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
AHL totals	AHL totals 	AHL totals		141 	24 	54 	78 	45 		10 	0 	1 	1 	2
KHL totals	KHL totals 	KHL totals		38 	4 	18 	22 	16 		9 	3 	2 	5 	2
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Personal==
Martin is the younger brother of Steve and Noriko and the famous Paul Kariya. He is of Japanese and Scottish descent.
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1981
Category:Bridgeport Sound Tigers players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Espoo Blues players
Category:Maine Black Bears players
Category:Peoria Rivermen players
Category:Portland Pirates players
Category:Dinamo Riga players