Zach Parise still looked good in the playoffs, especially after the first round. He performed pretty well in the Avalanche's game against the Winnipeg Jets. He made it clear late in the season that this would be his last season in the NHL, but who knows if a competitive spirit like his will change his mind after being away for a while.
No, nothing has changed for Parise, but he hasn't officially announced it yet.
“I haven't filed my papers yet, but I'm done,” Parise said on Kevin Karius' podcast last week.
Parise recently coached Team Minnesota with his son Jackson at the Brick Invitational and sat down with Karius in studio for the podcast to discuss a variety of topics, including his days with the Avalanche before ending his NHL career. Parise signed in February and played in all 30 regular season games and 11 playoff games for Colorado.
“It was an amazing experience to finally play those guys,” Parise said. “Physically it felt great. It really did. But mentally, when you know it's time, you know it's time. For me, it's time now.”
Though he has some wiggle room since he hasn't filed his retirement papers, Parise appears to have made up his mind, meaning his final NHL game will be a 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars in Game 6. The veteran was in a lengthy slump leading up to the regular-season finale, but then filled in on the second line after an injury to Jonathan Drouin and played a key role in the Avalanche's first-round win over the Winnipeg Jets.
Aside from his play on the ice, he was also a valuable presence in the locker room. Nikolai Kovalenko's locker was right next to Paris' at Ball Arena, and the young forward could be seen lurking around the veteran during skates — not a bad guy for an undersized forward like Kovalenko to have around and learn from.
1,254 games.
434 goals.
889 points.
You've had a fantastic NHL career, if I do say so myself. Congratulations, Parise, and I wish you all the best in your post-retirement years.
