Zach Parise was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in his home state of Minnesota this past week.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Surrounded by family, friends, former teammates and former foes, Zach Parise was immortalized in hockey history with his U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction on Dec. 10.
The forward, who grew up in Minnesota, had a full circle moment, being inducted into the Hall of Fame that resides in his home state.
"Having grown up here and everything, it's very nice to have it in our backyard, and playing here for such a long time, it means a lot," said Parise.
Parise joined Joe Pavelski, Scott Gomez, Bruce Bennett and Tara Mounsey in the Class of 2025. The late Ray Shero was also honored with the Lester Patrick Trophy on Wednesday.
The son of former NHLer J.P. Parise, Zach had hockey in his sights from the very start.
"From when I can remember, I just wanted to be like my dad and play in the National Hockey League," Parise said in his induction speech. "He was always quick to remind me how hard it is to make it, what type of work ethic you need, but he said there was nothing better."
Growing up, Parise played at Shattuck St. Mary's in Faribault, Minn., a prestigious hockey prep school where hockey greats like Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Toews started their hockey careers.
In his time at Shattuck, Parise logged 340 points in 125 games, 174 of those points coming from his senior season.
His elite talent at Shattuck landed him a scholarship to play at the University of North Dakota, where he began to be scouted for the NHL draft. In the 2003 NHL draft, the New Jersey Devils selected him 17th overall.
Although Parise never won a Stanley Cup, he captained the Devils on a near-perfect playoff run, reaching the 2012 Stanley Cup final but ultimately losing to the Los Angeles Kings.
He went back home to play for the Minnesota Wild, signing a 13-year contract with fellow first-round draft pick Ryan Suter on July 4, 2012. To this day, that remains a significant day in the history of the Wild.
Parise went on to have a long and distinguished career, playing a role as an alternate captain with the Wild and having stints on Long Island with the New York Islanders and in Colorado with the Avalanche. Recording 889 points in over 1,250 NHL games played, his outstanding performance made him a standout candidate for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
Not only did Parise play in the NHL, but he also represented his country on the world stage in multiple events.
Parise was part of the Americans' first gold medal win at the World Men's Under-18 Championship, as well as the first gold medal for Team USA in the World Junior Championship. He also represented Team USA in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey as well as two Olympics, capturing silver at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.
"I got to play with some of the best players to ever play the game, in Marty Brodeur, Patrick Kane, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and I got to play against some of the best that we'll ever see, Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, Nick Lidstrom, Steve Yzerman," he said.
As Parise reflected on his career, what stuck with him most was the fans and electricity during playoffs in Minnesota, as well as the many relationships he gained through the sport that are still with him in retirement.
"(What) stuck out was (some of) the playoff series we had, just kind of the electricity that was in the building. Some of the loudest buildings I've been in, those were some really fun games to be a part of," Parise said.
Parise joins many of the players he grew up idolizing in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame after creating himself a legacy in hockey that will be remembered forever.
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