The final ride for New York Islanders alumn Zach Parise is over.
The final ride for New York Islanders alumn Zach Parise is over.
The final ride for New York Islanders alumn Zach Parise is over. Following the Colorado Avalanche's loss to the Dallas Stars on Friday, the 39-year-old has played his final game in the NHL.
It was a heartbreaking defeat for the Avalanche, who were looking to force a Game 7 in Dallas on Sunday.
With the game deep into double overtime, Matt Duchene scored the winner for the Stars, ending the Avalanche's season and Parise's hopes of winning an elusive Stanley Cup.
Following the game, the veteran shared a moment with Peter DeBoer, who was his head coach in a Stanley Cup Final run with the New Jersey Devils in 2012.
He also shared a moment with longtime friend and teammate Ryan Suter, who signed a mega-deal alongside Parise with the Minnesota Wild in 2012.
In 1,254 regular season games, Parise finished with 434 goals and 455 assists, good for 889 points.
In postseason play, he had 39 red lights and 44 helpers for 83 points in 122 contests, including the aforementioned run to the finals.
After a nine-year run with the Minnesota Wild, Parise joined the Islanders on a one-year contract in the 2021 offseason.
While snake-bitten in his first two months of play, Parise was praised for his tenacious work ethic and finished the year with 15 goals and 20 assists, as well as an extension for the following season.
In 2022-23, Parise's dedication paid off, recording his 11th, 20-goal season. Again lauded for his leadership, he tallied 21 goals and 13 assists.
The forward also played in every one of the 164 games the Islanders had in his two seasons, earning himself a pair of Bobby Nystrom Awards as the "Islanders player that exemplifies leadership, hustle, and dedication."
When faced with a decision regarding his future, he took most of this season to consider his next steps.
After initially saying he would sign with the Islanders or retire, with New York off to a sluggish start, he signed with Colorado for one last chance at a title.
Unfortunately, those ambitions went away following Friday's loss.
In 30 regular season games with Colorado, Parise scored five goals with five assists before tallying two goals and an assist in 11 playoff games.