3ITB’s Top 33 Wild Players of All Time – #4

Kenney

4. Zach Parise – LW

4 Seasons,  259 Games,  105 Goals,  104 Assists,  209 Points

Zach Parise signed a 13 year contract with the Wild as an unrestricted free agent on July 4th, 2012. For some it was a great Independence Day, for others, looking at you NJ, it was not. With the exception of playing college hockey for the University North Dakota, Zach is strongly rooted in Minnesota. His father, JP, captained the Minnesota North Stars, which led to Zach being born and raised in Minneapolis, and he played for the prestigious Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, MN.

Nicknamed “Captain America”, his leadership skills on the ice cannot be rivaled. When he is not playing, you can see how much the entire team is affected and how much life seems to be sucked out of his teammates. His hard work and lead-by-example mentality are shown in his numbers, being in the top 1 or 2 spots for goals and points every season he’s played with the Wild, including leading the NHL in hat tricks during the 2015-16 season with 3.

Although he has not yet “Kissed the Cup” (something we’re hopeful he’ll help the Wild win), he does have a few medals to his name. In 2002 he helped win the Gold for Team USA in the World Juniors U18, and in the 2004 World Juniors, Gold again for Team USA, as well as a Silver medal in the 2010 Olympic Games.

Previously on our list:

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