Canada Wants Kariya’s Services

Paul Kariya’s status as an unsigned restricted free agent apparently won’t jeopardize his Olympic aspirations with Team Canada.

“There’s no doubt he’ll be there,” Canadian Olympic Coach Marc Crawford told the New York Daily News on Friday. “He’s a step above everybody in this league, and he’ll be there.”

Crawford also expects Kariya to soon join the Canadian team if he remains unsigned by the Ducks.

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Mikhail Shtalenkov doesn’t expect to become the starting goaltender for the Russian Olympic team simply because Nikolai Khabibulin of the Phoenix Coyotes recently announced he won’t play.

“We’ll see. . . . everything I know is from the newspapers,” said Shtalenkov, who started Friday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

“[Khabibulin’s absence] probably means I will have more chances to play there. Even if he decided to go there, it probably doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to play there. I know some guys don’t want to go. I’m not surprised. Maybe some players are thinking, ‘Maybe I’ll go. Maybe I won’t.’

“I already told the head coach he can count on me.”

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Teemu and Sirpa Selanne named their new baby boy Eetu. The couple’s first son, now almost 2, is named Eemil.

“Finns always want to find names that are difficult for North Americans to pronounce,” Selanne said, laughing.

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Defenseman Dmitri Mironov, the Ducks’ second-leading scorer with four goals and 13 points, did not play because of a strained chest muscle.