Former NHLer J.P. Parise passes away at 73

By Vinnie Criscenzo | Jan 8, 2015

Apr 5, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild left wing Zach Parise (11) at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Former NHL forward J.P. Parise passed away at the age of 73 after battling lung cancer.

The NHL community has lost another great individual.

Late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning, former NHL forward J.P. Parise passed away at the age of 73 after battling with lung cancer for almost a year. He was the father of current Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise.

J.P. was a two-time NHL All-Star (1970,1973) and a tremendous part of Team Canada during the 1972 ‘Summit Series’ against the Soviet Union. He was originally signed by the Boston Bruins and made his NHL debut for Boston in 1965. He was traded briefly to the Toronto Maple Leafs before joining the Minnesota North Stars, where he made the biggest impact. It was during his time in Minnesota that he made his two All-Star appearances. He later finished his career with stints on the New York Islanders and the Cleveland Barons. After the 1978 season, the Cleveland Barons merged with the Minnesota North Stars, which miraculously brought J.P. back back to the franchise. He played one final season with Minnesota before finally retiring in 1979.

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After his playing days were over, J.P. spent the next nine seasons as an assistant coach on the North Stars and spending time with their Central Hockey League affiliate Salt Lake City. After that, he became director of hockey operations at Shattuck St. Mary’s prep school in Minnesota. Shattuck today is one of the most prestigious high-school hockey programs in the United States, producing the likes of Sydney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, and of course, Zach Parise.

J.P. helped coach his son Zach as he grew up and continued to be his biggest fan and a huge influence throughout Zach’s professional career in the NHL. So, it must have been devastating news to Zach when he found out that his father was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Zach found out right after he returned from representing the United States at the Socchi 2014 Winter Olympics that his father was diagnosed with lung cancer. J.P. went to the doctor because of kidney stones when they found the cancer. J.P. was notably a very heavy smoker when he was younger and actually survived prostate cancer back in 1999.

J.P. was always a light-hearted individual, and it shows even in these hard times.

‘I’m 72 years old,’ J.P. Parise told the Star Tribune in September. ‘The average life here is what, 75, 76, 77? I might end up in the middle of things,’ he said, laughing. ‘That’s life. If someone was to tell you today that you’re going to be going at 77, 78, you’d say, ‘Boy, that’s not bad.’

Zach Parise missed the Wild’s game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday to be with his father, who reportedly stopped chemotherapy treatments earlier in the week. He must have gotten word that J.P.’s time was coming to an end and wanted to spend whatever time he had left with his father.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Parise family in this tough time.

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