If you were picking a team to represent the U.S., Zach Parise might be one of the first choices to build around.

“If I’m building a team of 20 players, Zach fits on my team and he fits in a lot of different areas,” said David Poile, the winningest and longest-tenured general manager in NHL history. “Not only does he get there on his own attributes, but he probably makes the team, his line and every place better. If you’re building the all-American team of all time, you would want Zach on your team.”

That alone should tell you why Parise is going into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame barely a year after finishing his NHL career. Parise will be inducted alongside photographer Bruce Bennett and players Scott Gomez, Tara Mounsey and Joe Pavelski in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Dec. 10. In addition, the late executive Ray Shero will be honored with the Lester Patrick Trophy.

Parise, a left wing for most of his career, did produce numbers. During a 19-year NHL career with four teams, he had 434 goals and 455 assists for 889 points. He excelled on the power play, with almost 30% of his points (125 goals and 133 assists for 258) coming with the man advantage. But he was also valuable in ways that you can’t quantify statistically.

Brian Burke, a longtime NHL executive who picked Parise for the 2010 U.S. Olympic team, said he might have been the person to coin the phrase “200-foot player,” regarding a forward’s ability to play offense and defense. He dislikes the term now, preferring to use “three-zone player.”

“He takes great pride in both playing on both sides of the puck,” Burke said. “That’s very important. It starts with a mindset, and he executes it with effort.”

Parise took over as captain of the Devils for the 2011-12 season and spearheaded New Jersey to its first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2003.

He also captained the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team after helping the 2010 squad earn the silver medal. Parise scored a memorable goal that year in Vancouver with 24.4 seconds left in regulation to force overtime against Canada.

Parise represented the U.S. at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey as well as the IIHF Men’s World Championships in 2005, 2007 and 2008.

He won two gold medals on the international stage — the 2002 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship and the 2004 IIHF World Junior Championships, the first time the U.S. won that event.

“Certainly, his play dictated that — he was never given anything,” said Lou Lamoriello, who picked Parise for the Devils with the 17th choice of the 2003 NHL Draft. “He worked for everything he received. His captaincy is no surprise. He was captain here in New Jersey as well. Because his leadership traits were by example. How can you refute the example of the hardest worker on the ice and have the ability to be a 40-goal scorer?”

Lamoriello, Burke and Poile all gave credit to Parise’s father, J.P. Parise, for helping instill a terrific knowledge of the game. J.P. Parise played 14 years in the NHL for five teams, retiring as the Minnesota North Stars’ career leader in assists and second in points. He also was a North Stars assistant coach for seven seasons, then coached Zach at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minnesota.

“He came from a hockey family, so he had the love of the game and probably the education of the game from a very early stage that probably gave him a head start on lots and lots of people,” said Poile, the general manager of the 2014 Olympic team and assistant general manager in 2010. “It’s one thing to have a dad that played the game, but you know to also embrace and love the game like you could tell that Zach did every time he went out on the ice — what a good family to be born into.”

Burke added, “He got a lot from his dad in terms of athletic ability. He’s a great athlete. He can really skate. But what sets him apart — and this is very common with the Hall of Fame guys — is his work ethic and his smarts. His hockey IQ is off the charts.”

Jamie Langenbrunner played with Parise on the Devils from 2005 to 2011 and suited up with him on the 2010 Olympic team.

“What amazed me when he came to New Jersey was, you have a talented guy that obviously had a Hall of Fame career, but he always played the game with a fourth-liner’s mentality, where the grind and the work and the attention to detail was always there,” Langenbrunner said. “I credit him with kind of reinvigorating my career at the time. He comes in as the young kid, and we had some success as linemates and we pushed each other. But his energy and his enthusiasm — to get better every day was really impressive.”

Parise’s combination of terrific two-way play and leadership has left a lasting impression on his peers. Not to mention that Parise is also wonderful off the ice.

“He was somebody that was infectious,” Lamoriello said. “He made a lasting impression on me, as a player, as a person — and it’s obvious because I tried to get him several times after he wasn’t here and then eventually did get him back. The actions speak louder than words. And that relationship stays there as late as today.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.

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