On Wednesday, Apr. 17, Colorado Avalanche forward Zach Parise confirmed that he will retire from the NHL at the end of the season. The 39-year-old signed with the Avalanche in January in an attempt to get to one more Stanley Cup Final.
Parise came close to winning the Cup with the New Jersey Devils when they reached the 2012 Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Los Angeles Kings, but he hasn’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs since. “That was a big draw with the amount of guys that have won here and how they’ve been playing all season,” Parise said. “So, that gets you even more excited.”
Parise has skated in 1,224 career NHL contests, registering 879 points (429g/450a) with New Jersey, Minnesota, and the New York Islanders.
Parise has accumulated the third-most games played among all active American-born NHL skaters, trailing only Ryan Suter (1,410) and Joe Pavelski (1,298). Of those drafted in 2003, he ranks sixth in points, fourth in goals, and second in game-winning tallies (82). Parise became one of 13 skaters born in the United States to register 400 NHL goals when he scored against San Jose on Feb. 24, 2022.
He has 80 points (37 goals, 43 assists) in 111 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Devils, Minnesota Wild, Islanders, and Avalanche and will be looking to add to those totals one last time.