Zach Parise's U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame Induction Will Be A Full-Circle Moment

The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame announced their 53rd class earlier this week, which included Stanley Cup Champions, Olympic Gold medalists, and hockey's preeminent photographer. The class also featured a Minnesota Wild connection in the form of former forward Zach Parise.

Parise and the Wild have a complicated history. His 2012 homecoming was the franchise’s biggest acquisition at the time, but it never translated into the playoff breakthrough fans hoped for.

The Wild never advanced past the second round with Parise in Forest Green. To make matters worse, Parise and Suter's contracts became an albatross for the team, and the Wild ultimately bought out of their deals in 2021. The buy-out penalties continued to affect the team far past the pair's time in Minnesota.

Still, with the forward's induction into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, it's a good time to look back fondly on Parise's career and what he means to Minnesota hockey.

Before getting into his Wild career, it's crucial to discuss what came before his Minnesota homecoming. Before signing with the Wild, Parise was already a decorated NHL and international player.

Parise burst onto the scene when he scored 11 points in six games during the 2004 World Juniors Tournament. That effort led the USA to the nation's first gold medal in the prestigious tournament. When Parise was announced as a U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, he expressed pride in helping the event gain popularity in the United States.

"It's amazing how (World Juniors) has grown just in publicity in the United States, which is great because you're looking at the future stars of the NHL," Parise said. "We knew we had a good squad going in, but I think for us it's a little bit of a feather in the cap that we were able to be the first United States team to win it."

The forward continued to play crucial games for the United States throughout his career. He won a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics, represented the USA at the 2014 Olympics, and participated in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

His early NHL career was just as prolific. In seven seasons with the New Jersey Devils, Parise amassed 410 points and made a Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

All of his early success led Parise to be the most coveted free agent in the summer of 2012. His signing with the Wild led to significant fanfare. It was a watershed moment for the franchise to be the biggest story of the summer, considering they had never really had national relevance since their inception in 2000.

Few players could have lived up to a 13-year, $98 million deal, but Parise produced in Minnesota.

The team immediately improved after his arrival. Minnesota had missed the playoffs for four straight seasons, but made it during the 2012-13 season after adding Parise. Minnesota failed to make the playoffs only once with Parise on the roster.

It wasn't just a greater level of team success, either. Parise had excellent seasons with the Wild. Parise functioned well as a puck-possessing play driver for Minnesota.

During his eight seasons with the team, he had a Corsi-For rating of less than 50% only once, in his final season with the team. Parise also logged an expected goals-for percentage greater than 50% every year he played with the Wild.

Parise also excelled in traditional counting stats. He's top-ten all-time for the Wild in goals (199), points (400), power play goals (69), points per game (.72), and many other categories.

The most impressive part of Parise's results is that he did so in a historically low-scoring era for the NHL. The 2014-15 season was his best scoring season with Minnesota, tallying 62 points in 74 games.

Jamie Benn was the league's leading points scorer that season, with 87 points. For comparison, the Art Ross Trophy winner has eclipsed 120 points in four straight seasons.

That contrast makes context essential when evaluating his point totals. Hockey Reference uses a metric called "adjusted points" that attempts to normalize point totals for players across different generations by considering the scoring environment, roster sizes, and schedule length.

Parise ranks second all-time on the Wild in adjusted points with 476. That trails only Mikko Koivu, whose number Minnesota retired in 2022.

By any metric, Parise is a worthy U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer and one of the most talented players to ever suit up for the Wild. It's natural to have hoped for more postseason success out of his tenure with Minnesota, but that should only be one part of his legacy. 

Parise deserves to be remembered fondly for his connection to the Wild and Minnesota hockey. His father, J.P. Parise, played for the North Stars. Parise grew up in Bloomington, played for Shattuck-Saint Mary’s, and later for the Wild.

Minnesota has always been at the center of Parise’s life and career. That will come full circle once again when he’s inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth.

"Minnesota has always been a special place for me,” he said. “Even when I was playing in New Jersey, I always knew at some point I was going to retire here. I grew up here, going through the youth programs, and now everything is coming full circle.

"I'm coaching my kids here now; my dad played for the North Stars. Now this (U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction) is here in Minnesota. Everything ends up here one way or another."