The Colorado Avalanche signed Zach Parise to a contract for the rest of the season, giving the Stanley Cup contenders some added depth and experience.

General manager Chris MacFarland announced the deal Friday night. It's worth a pro-rated $825,000.

“We are excited to add Zach to our group," MacFarland said in a statement. “Over his impressive NHL career, Zach has always been a highly competitive and driven forward who is hard to play against. We look forward to adding his veteran presence to our locker room.”

Parise, 39, is joining his fourth organization for his 19th season in the NHL. He spent the past two seasons with the New York Islanders after lengthy stints with the Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils.

The Minneapolis native has 959 points in 1,335 regular-season and playoff games since breaking into the league in 2005. New Jersey selected him with the 17th pick in the 2003 draft.

The Avalanche are in second place in the Central Division. They're trying to win the Cup for the second time in three years.

___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press