Former NY Islanders forward Zach Parise confirms this is his last NHL season

As the Colorado Avalanche are set for game 82 of the season, former NY Islanders forward Zach Parise announces that tonight will be his final regular-season game in the NHL.

Parise took a sabbatical from the game after the Islanders were knocked out of the playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes in round 1 of last year's playoffs. Parise kept skating though, and wanted to make sure he was staying sharp just in case. There were rumors of Parise's return to the Islanders at the start of the season but GM Lou Lamoriello and the veteran forward couldn't make it work.

Parise joined the Avalanche just before the All-Star break and announced his retirement this afternoon stating "Yeah, I’ve decided,” Parise said. “I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. I was content coming back that this would be the last one.” Leave it to Parise to not want the spotlight on him. He retires as one of the NHL's best, a known locker room presence, and seemed to age like fine wine on the ice.

Parise is leaving the NHL with 1,254 games a total of 19 seasons in the NHL. He has played for the New Jersey Devils, the Minnesota Wild, the Islanders, and the Colorado Avalanche. He’s eighth all-time among American-born players with 433 goals and finished his career with 888 career points (433 Goals, 455 Assists).

Parise originally came to the Islanders during the 2021-22 season, finishing with 36 goals and 33 assists in 164 games. His late father J.P Parise played 240 games for the Islanders from 1975-1978 and recorded 73 goals and 98 assists. Zach fit right in at home with the Islanders and was an integral part of this team for the two years he was in the lineup.

Despite not having re-signed with the Islanders after saying it was the Island or nowhere back in May, there was no bad blood between the Isles and Parise when he left the organization. They wished him nothing but the best, knowing he needed to make the right decision for him and his career