Kariya’s Deal With Anaheim Boosts Charities

Paul Kariya signed a contract with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Thursday and agreed to donate $2 million - about a third of his pay for the season - to charity.

The high-scoring wing, who skated with the team at practice, signed a two-year deal that will pay him $5.5 million for this season and $8.5 million for the next.

Minus the $2 million that he will give to charity this season, that leaves him with $3.5 million for the year.

“The salary will be prorated (for the 32 games Kariya has missed), and we agreed with Paul that the money, approximately $2 million, will be donated to Orange County charities,” said general manager Jack Ferreira.

“I just felt it was time (to sign),” said Kariya, who had been practicing with the Canadian national team, preparing for the Olympics. “I was going to go to Europe with the national team next Monday, and I figured this was our last kick at the can.”

The length of the contract was the main sticking point, with Kariya wanting a short-term deal.

“When we saw him in the locker room, there wasn’t really a need for words; we just had a team hug,” said Teemu Selanne, who teamed with Kariya as one of the NHL’s highest-scoring duos last season.

“This is the greatest Christmas present ever,” Selanne said. “You could feel the excitement with him on the ice during practice. It’s a new life for us now.”

Brodeur agrees to extension

The New Jersey Devils and goaltender Martin Brodeur agreed to a four-year contract extension worth about $16 million, his agent’s office said.

Brodeur, 25, is in the final year of his contract, which pays him just over $2 million this season. The two-time All-Star would have become a restricted free agent at the end of this season.

Brodeur leads the NHL with an 18-6-0 record and a 1.69 goals against average. He also has three shutouts.

Jagr, Penguins close to deal

All-Star right wing Jaromir Jagr is close to signing a new contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins that could pay him more than $50 million over seven years, team owner Howard Baldwin said.

Jagr, 25, has two years remaining on the current contract that pays him $5.1 million this season. The new pact would be the largest in team history, surpassing Mario Lemieux’s seven-year, $45.2 million agreement signed in 1992.

Roy has muscle strain

Patrick Roy has faced more shots than any other regular NHL goaltender this season, and the barrage finally has sidelined the Colorado Avalanche star. He’s been advised to stay off skates four to six days, at least, after a hospital visit led to a diagnosis of a strained abdominal muscle.