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| | Wednesday, December 8 | ||||||
| VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- They've battled in table tennis, baseball, cribbage, checkers and in-line skating races on the hill near their North Vancouver home.
But Wednesday will be the first time Paul and Steve Kariya face off against each other in a hockey game when the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim play host to the Vancouver Canucks. "The most difficult thing for me during the game will be not critiquing his play while he's out there," Mighty Ducks star Paul said in a conference call Tuesday. Steve, the Vancouver rookie who is four years younger, said he doesn't see the game as a chance to measure his talents against his brother. "I've never tried to play like Paul or be like Paul," said Steve, 21, who is tied for fourth among rookie scorers with 16 points, including six goals. "I have to go out there and play my own game and be my own person. I've learned a lot from him and he's been nothing but a help for my career." Paul, in his sixth NHL season and fourth as the Anaheim captain, phones home regularly for updates on his brother. "I've been extra proud of what he's done," said Paul, who leads Anaheim with 12 goals, and is tied with teammate Teemu Selanne in team scoring with 26 points. "It thrills me. It's one of the biggest thrills I've had." The strong relationship is further forged by a burning competitive instinct. The brothers can make a competition out of anything, be it training, cards or checkers. "He cheats a lot," Paul said of Steve. Fights are common. "It usually ends up in a big neck-grab or a couple of punches to the forearms or something," Steve said. But don't expect any fisticuffs on the ice. "The likelihood of Steve and I lining up at center ice and dropping the gloves is slim," Paul said. "But hopefully we'll bump into each other a few times." The brothers have followed different paths to the NHL after attending the University of Maine. Paul, 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, was Anaheim's first choice, fourth overall, in the 1993 draft. He also was a member of the Canadian team that won a silver at the 1994 Winter Olympics. Steve, who is only 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds, was overlooked in the draft and signed as a free agent by the Canucks. Another Kariya brother, Martin, is currently playing at Maine. For years, hockey separated the brothers as they played in different leagues across the continent. Now the game has brought them together again. "Our relationship has grown over the past two or three years," Paul said. "I moved away from home when I was 15 and didn't get to see a lot of him growing up or playing in minor hockey. We've become closer now that we've been training in the summertime." But that hasn't stopped the game of sibling rivalry. "We're going out for dinner tonight," Paul said. "Steve is going to pay." | ALSO SEE In the Corners: Kariyas have competitive fire Head to head: Kariya vs. Kariya Vancouver (11-11-6) at Anaheim (7-16-2) 10:30 pm EST Brian's Barometer: Ducks stars adjust to win AUDIO/VIDEO   Mark Messier says Steve has all the tools of a great player.wav: 123 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Steve explains his brother's advice.wav: 150 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6   Paul says he's proud to have his brother in the NHL.avi: 494 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1  | ||||||
