Former Minnesota Wild franchise cornerstones Zach Parise and Ryan Suter are set to play against each other in the second round of the playoffs, which starts tonight when the Colorado Avalanche open up the series on the road against the Dallas Stars.
The last time Parise and Suter were on the same ice sheet in the playoffs was as teammates on May 28, 2021 when the Wild were eliminated in the first round by the Vegas Golden Knights.
Ironically, in that 6-2 Game 6 loss, Parise scored with Suter assisting on the goal.
Parise and Suter would have their identical 13-year deals bought out together on July 13, 2021 despite having four years left on their contracts.
Parise finished his Wild tenure with 199 goals and 400 points in 558 regular-season games and also had 37 points in 44 playoff games. Suter recorded 369 points in 656 regular-season games and had 18 points in 49 playoff games.
Parise, now 39, signed with the New York Islanders after the buyout. He scored a combined 36 goals and 69 points over 164 games with the Islanders in the two seasons following the buyout.
Parise then signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 26. He recorded five goals and 10 points in 30 regular-season games and scored twice in the Avalanche's first-round series win over the Winnipeg Jets. Parise said he will retire after this season.
Suter, now 39, signed with Dallas after the buyout and has been there ever since. He has 12 goals and 74 points with a +15 rating in 246 games with the Stars.
Suter finished the regular season this year with 17 points and a +14 rating. He had two points and a +2 rating in the Stars' first-round series victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. He has one year left on his contract with the Stars.
Now Parise and Suter will compete against each other in the playoffs.
What a strange sight this is going to be.
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