Player Impact: Zach Parise
Posted by freezethepuck on April 16, 2010
NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 14: Chris Pronger(notes) #20 of the Philadelphia Flyers hits Zach Parise(notes) #9 of the New Jersey Devils in Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Prudential Center on April 14, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Overview:
Player: Zachary Parise
Age: 25 (birthdate: July 28, 1984)
Height: 5′ 11″
Weight: 185 lbs
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Began Career: Shattuck St. Mary’s
Season Statistics: 38 Goals, 44 assists: 82 points (in 81 games)
Acquired by Devils: Drafted in the first round of the 2003 NHL draft, 17th overall.
Background:
As the son of a former NHLer, Zach Parise developed the desire for hockey at a young age. He grew up in Minnesota after his father, J.P. Parise, finished playing with the Minnesota North Stars.
Parise’s real career began in high school though. He played four years of high school hockey with the infamous hockey preparatory high school, Shattuck St. Mary’s.
In his final two seasons with Shattuck, Parise posted 146 goals and 194 assists in just 125 games.
After a stellar performance in high school, Parise furthered his education and hockey career by attending the University of North Dakota, also well-known for producing NHLers.
In his freshman season, Parise played in 39 games, and scored 25 goals and 35 assists for a total of 61 points. He became a member of the All-Rookie Team, All-Conference Third Team, and a Hobey Baker Finalist (NCAA Top Player).
The year Parise finished his rookie campaign for North Dakota, the New Jersey Devils won the Stanley Cup. Fortunately for New Jersey, the Devils managed to trade and move up to the 17th overall spot.
Originally, many speculated the New York Islanders would draft Parise with the 15th spot. Parise’s father scored one of the biggest goals in the Islanders’ history. It seemed only logical that Parise would become an Islander.
But as the draft continued, the Devils saw an opening. They pounced and sure enough drafted Parise.
A couple months later, the NHL went into the lock-out. Fortunately, Parise benefitted from this though. He left college and played a year in the American Hockey League, for the then-AHL affiliate of the Devils, the Albany River Rats.
Then, in 2005, Parise debuted in the NHL. His debut went under the radar since the highly-anticipated Sidney Crosby debuted in the exact same game.
The Devils played at home that night, allowing the home crowd to cheer on Parise as he scored his first NHL goal on his first shot. By the end of the night, Parise recorded his first goal and Crosby did not. This quickly led to the crowd chanting, “Parise’s better!”
As the season progressed, Parise’s offensive talent disappeared a little. He struggled with the new demands of a higher league, but still managed a good rookie campaign (14 goals, 18 assists).
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
He did, however, find himself on the Devils’ top line with Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez.
After that, well, Parise became one the most reliable scorers for the Devils. As a fellow North Dakota Fighting Sioux boy joined the roster (Travis Zajac), Parise seemed to step up his game.
He posted 31 goals and 31 assists that year, nearly doubling both of his rookie totals.
After a surprising sophomore year, Parise led the path to a fantastic future. In the 2007-2008 season, he scored his first NHL hat trick against the Montreal Canadiens. With the help of line mate, Gionta, Parise left the building that night with a huge grin on his face.
See, not only does Parise play hockey because he has a talent for it, he plays because he loves it. Parise is the type of player coaches love to have on the team, but have to drag off the ice. He hates taking a day off, and often the coach has to tell him to take practice off.
Yet, the more he plays, the more he thrives. Parise wears his heart on his sleeve, but his determination and work ethic really lead to his success.
Suddenly, in the 2008-2009 season, the league began to take notice of Parise. After three years of Devils’ fans hiding this secret weapon, Parise sprung out of the gate in 2008. He finished third that year in goals with 45 and nearly became the first Devils to break 100 points.
His successful first half helped him play in his first All Star Game in 2009. He also became a Lady Byng Finalist for the league’s most gentlemanly player.
Parise’s most successful line mates in the NHL were Jamie Langenbrunner and Zajac. Known among fans as the ZZ Pops line (Langenbrunner is the Pops), Parise excelled because his teammates excelled. However, Jacques Lemaire continues to tinker with his lines, and often these three play with at least one of the members of the ZZ Pops line. (Most often Lemaire keeps Zajac and Parise together.)
Now a seasoned veteran, Parise knows the NHL level well.
This Season:
For the first game of the season, Parise wore the alternate captain letter on his jersey. For quite some time now, everyone (particularly Ken Daneyko) said Parise would one day become the Devils’ captain. Well, now he certainly is on his way to that.
Since he did finish third in scoring last year, teams really focused on him. They began checking him more, tying him up, and looking for him to shoot.
Suddenly, Parise’s options became more limited. So he turned to his center man, Zajac. Zajac thus had a break out year scoring 25 goals, and Parise assisted many of those.
Yet, Parise did not stop scoring. He finished the regular season with 38 goals. Also, Parise became the first Devils to score 30 or more goals in four straight seasons. Unfortunately he did not hit the 40 goal mark, but his accomplishments go well beyond that.
After playing many international tournaments for America, Parise finally had the opportunity to play in the Olympics this year. Now back in 2004, Parise led Team USA to its first gold medal in the World Juniors Championship.
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
His experience of success drove him to grab another gold medal. And the Americans looked poised to take home gold this year. Unfortunately, with less than a minute to go, the Canadians led the Americans in the gold medal match. Then, with about 24 seconds remaining, Parise (left undefended in front of the net) scored to tie the game up.
Not many people cared that Crosby scored the winner (at least in the USA), everyone care about Parise’s tying goal. Parise suddenly became the face of USA Hockey, and he sold the game.
People across America were talking about Parise’s stunning goal to tie the game, not the fact that the Americans lost the game in overtime.
From the Olympics, Parise gained a small taste of what the Stanley Cup Finals could be like. In fact, many of the players from the Gold Medal Game relate that game to the feeling of a Game Seven in the Finals.
After a successful regular season, Parise wants to prove he can win in the playoffs. He made it out of the first round only once in his four-year career. He feels the need to prove to the world he can play in the postseason, and play well.
Of course Parise’s impact on the Devils is one of the most important. Behind Martin Brodeur, Parise easily is the new face of Devils’ hockey. He carried the Devils offensively the past two seasons, but then the Devils brought in Ilya Kovalchuk to help him out.
With the stress of having to score every night to keep his team in the game, Parise seemed more relaxed and ready to play and just have fun. Whether he battled the post-Olympic deflation or a sudden territorial deflation, Parise’s play dropped a little after the Olympics.
Nevertheless, Parise looks like he can put up the big numbers in the playoffs.
He finished the first game of the series against the Philadelphia Flyers with five shots and an assists on the team’s only goal. However, the Devils need him to score if they want to make it out of the first round. And they need him to score on the power play.
Parise likely will remain a Devil for his career. He seems to love the organization and Lou Lamoriello seems to love him too. The next step is signing him to a long-term contract and keeping him the face of New Jersey Hockey.
Olivia Heffington said
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