Player of the Week - Zach Parise
The Minnesota native has returned to his home-state and has recently turned up the intensity and the production as the Wild have made a move in the standings. Zach's been a key producer during this stretch and is our Player of the Week.
NEED TO KNOW
From the moment it was announced in July that Zach Parise and Ryan Suter had signed with the Minnesota Wild, expectations for this season were high. After all, at only 27 years old, Parise was a seven-year NHL veteran and was coming off a 2011-12 campaign that saw him register 31 goals and 38 assists in leading his former team in New Jersey to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Fast-forward to this season and the Wild find themselves atop the Northwest division with 40 points and are in the midst of a six-game winning streak in which Parise has three goals and five assists. The Minnesota native has returned to where his hockey career began, and has been a valuable component to the Wild's early season success. He leads the team in goals with 14 and is second in points with 27 while logging major minutes as he and his teammates strive for a playoff berth. Parise has once again proven that he is an elite player who is capable of scoring goals in clutch situations. At 5'11", 195 lbs., what he may lack in size, he more than makes up for with his exceptional speed and his powerful shot, tools that have been the keys to his successful NHL career.
Starting from the World Under-18 Championships, where he captured a gold medal in 2002, Zach has represented the United States at every level of international competition. In 2004, he led the Americans to their first-ever gold medal at the World Junior Championships en route to being named the tournament’s MVP. His impressive international resume culminated in 2010 when he captured a silver medal as an alternate captain for Team USA at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.
- Zach played in all of the New Jerseys 24 playoff games last season recording 8 goals and 7 assists for 15 points while leading all players with 87 shots on goal
- Had a breakout year in his fourth NHL season (2008-09) tallying a career best 45 goals, 49 assists and 94 points
BIOGRAPHY
- Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 28, 1984
- Drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 1st round 17th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
- Played two seasons of NCAA hockey for the University of North Dakota from 2002–04
- Is the son of Jean-Paul Parise who played 14 NHL seasons for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota North Stars, New York Islanders, and Cleveland Barons
- Was named to his first NHL All-Star Game in 2008-09