Zach Parise’s name seems to be everywhere in Minnesota Hockey but most predominantly in Shattuck’s Old Arena.  The old pictures and memorabilia still hang on the walls and some old timers swear Parise’s puck marks still blacken the grey shaded boards of the Old Arena.

It’s become a “holy grail” of hockey in Minnesota and the Old Arena was elevated in stature when Gopher supporters Lou Nanne and Glen Sonmor visited J. P. Parise and Zach in October of 2001 to talk about their affection for the University of Minnesota hockey.  The problem was Zach had already committed to attend the University Of North Dakota.  The phones in Grand Forks must have been lit up that night.

Zach stayed at North Dakota for two years, was drafted 17th by the New Jersey Devils who traded for that pick; it was three picks ahead of the Wild’s #20 first round pick that year.  Some Wild fans always felt that the Devils stole Parise.

A lockout year followed as the NHL team owners and players could not get together and Parise ended up playing a year in the AHL.  The following year, he became a star for the Devils until he became a free agent last year and on Independence Day, July 4th, 2012, signed a long term contract with Wild along with Ryan Suter.

The Wild suddenly became legitimate.  After missing the playoffs since 2008, they made the playoff’s this past April.

The Detriot Red Wings thought both Parise and Suter would sign with them, but they also thought the two would never sign with the Wild.  A Detroit headline screamed that Parise and Suter “don’t think red”.  How could they pass up a successful team like Detroit for the Minnesota Wild?
That is a good question.  “You had to beat out family” one Detroit sports writer wrote.  Another wrote, “family, shmamily”.  
 
But if a fan had tickets to the North Stars at the Met in the 1970’s, they would have seen J. P. Parise, Lou Nanne, and Caesar Maniago take the ice without helmets and masks.  Throw out Goldsworthy hair, give him some whisker stubble and they all looked alike.  Maniago was the North Star goalie from 1967 to 1976.  Zach was coached by JP at Shattuck.  JP got Shattuck hockey going around the turn of the century and his son’s rise to NHL heights has fueled the Sabres’ program.

Suddenly one could say to the Detroit Press, “family, family”.
There was a strong push for Zach to play for the Gophers when he graduated from Shattuck in 2002, but Zach went to the Fighting Sioux for whatever reason.  If the Devils hadn’t traded draft picks, he would have been a Wild in eight years ago.

It is the Fourth of July and time for families in Minnesota to get together and celebrate.  In a larger sense, Zach Parise was making a statement by returning to Minnesota for family.  Whether you are a squirt player or a peewee player or a U10 player or a U12 player or a bantam player or a U14 player; in the same larger sense, you are part of the family Zach is returning to.

Maybe that meeting with Nanne and Sonmer long ago made sense after all.  Sonmor had spoken of “other things beside just hockey” at that meeting.  YHH would like to think so.

Isn’t that a good feeling?

 Happy Fourth of July.