NEWARK, N.J. — Zach Parise expected boos, and the New Jersey Devils’ faithful delivered.
The 14,772 at Prudential Center on Thursday night jeered the former Devils captain at every turn in his first game back in the Garden State. Parise was only cheered during his long, lonely skate to the penalty box after taking a first-period hooking penalty.
Yet, as is his wont, Parise greeted the negative reception in stride, leading the Wild with five shots on goal in the team’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Devils.
“It was great — everything but the outcome,” Parise said. “Coming back here and playing in this building was fun too.”
Parise’s 410 points in a Devils sweater, and 15 points in 24 postseason games in 2012, evidently has been forgotten by the fans — still resentful over his signing a 13-year, $98-million deal with the Wild on July 4, 2012. Parise, on the other hand, felt playoff memories flood him when the Wild pulled up on the bus on Thursday before their morning skate.
“When we pulled up, it reminded me of when we were playing in the spring,” he said before the game. “You get a lot of those flashbacks and memories just pulling up. It just brought back a lot of really good memories.”
There are reasons for Devils fans to feel bummed, and even Parise acknowledges that. The Devils’ first-round pick in 2003 terrorized the Eastern Conference — reaching the playoffs six of his seven seasons, missing only in 2010-11 when Parise was sidelined for 69 games with a knee injury. He also helped the Devils reach the Stanley Cup final in 2012.
“Sports and fans are passionate about their teams and passionate about their players, and they feel part of the team,” Parise said. “When a player leaves, some can take it personal. You never want to see one of your own leave, I understand that.”
Since his departure, New Jersey is a perfectly mediocre 49-46-23, going 2-15 in games decided in the shootout in two seasons. Parise has scored an NHL-best 37 shootout markers in 81 career tries, and it’s no coincidence the Wild is poised for its second straight postseason appearance in Parise’s second year in the Twin Cities.
“We felt good about where our organization was going… but we knew we weren’t there,” Wild coach Mike Yeo said. “When you’re able to add a guy like Zach… it accelerated the process of where we wanted to go as an organization and brought an instant credibility to the Minnesota Wild throughout the league.”
But the boos — and signs such as the one reading “Pari$e” — were unwarranted. Parise said before Thursday’s game the Devils and Wild were the finalists to retain him, and he reportedly passed on more money from the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, only departing the Devils to go home.
Parise even admitted he tried to lure Ryan Suter, who signed a twin 13-year contract in Minnesota the same day as Parise, to New Jersey. But Suter — who has family in Wisconsin and a wife from Minnesota — proved a tough sell.
“I’ll be honest, I was trying to get him to come here,” Parise said. “He wanted to stay out west, in the Western Conference, so that conversation didn’t go very far. But I tried.”
Martin Brodeur, who also unsuccessfully courted Suter and Parise back to New Jersey, said Thursday that Devils management dropped the ball in trying to retain its superstar forward.
“It affected our organization in big way,” Brodeur said. “We had two years to talk to him and try to figure something out with him, and we waited and waited and it was too late.”
What is most unfortunate is Parise seems like the last person on earth worth booing. He seems like the consummate Minnesotan — friendly, respectful and downright nice. His work ethic is second to none, and his calm and even-keeled demeanor should be emulated by more athletes.
Even his former coach in New Jersey, Pete DeBoer, could appreciate watching his game and what it meant to have him in New Jersey’s dressing room.
“I understand the fans’ disappointment with him leaving,” said DeBoer. “I also know we should all be very thankful for the time he put in. I know I feel privileged to have coached him.”
Devils fans should feel privileged to have watched him and celebrate the good and not dwell on the bad. It’s not the New Jersey way, but it’s the right way.