Smoggy Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 Thanks goodness for DirecTV sports pack. I'll be able to watch the replay of Zach's first game. I'm sure I'll get the replays of the Bruins games as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 I'm wondering if there is any truth to this: I heard that Parise was so "disgusted" after the game that he didn't even fly back with the team. Supposedly he left with his dad right for NJ. Any truth to this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 Any truth to this? The way Blais and Hennessy talked on the radio, I was under the impression that Parise flew out of Grand Forks this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGreyAnt41 Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 I loved Blais's quote on KVLY, "Zach should adjust to the physical play of the NHL very quickly since he's been dealing with it for the past two years here." (That's pretty close to what he said). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Boy Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 This thread started out with some blame being laid at the feet (or stick) of Vanek for Zach leaving early. I thought that rather humorous. Yeah, I was a little disappointed. But, no question, Zach was gone right after his stellar performance at the World Juniors. Gone. Not to say that he didn't put out 100% effort after that, but it was clear NJ wanted him at the end of this season, and he was ready to go. Best of luck to him. For myself, I never considered Zach to be the savior of this program. It doesn't need any. The Fighting Sioux tradition was formed long before Zach came, and it will continue well beyond his departure. It was nice to see such a class act play the game in a Sioux uniform; but to me, everyone who puts on that jersey and pours their guts out on the ice is truly special. I look forward to a new team that gels together with grit and determination that will take them to a national title. One that somehow finds a way to win, no matter what. You look at what Potulny did for the Gophers in this capacity, and you can imagine how much they will miss him. A bigger loss, in my opinion. Who leaves and who stays? It really doesn't matter. It only creates opportunity for someone else to step up and lead. To finish what was started. Go Sioux. taz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 This thread started out with some blame being laid at the feet (or stick) of Vanek for Zach leaving early. I thought that rather humorous. Have a good laugh, but I know what Zach thought about WCHA officiating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choyt3 Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 This thread started out with some blame being laid at the feet (or stick) of Vanek for Zach leaving early. I thought that rather humorous. Yeah, I was a little disappointed. But, no question, Zach was gone right after his stellar performance at the World Juniors. Gone. Not to say that he didn't put out 100% effort after that, but it was clear NJ wanted him at the end of this season, and he was ready to go. Best of luck to him. For myself, I never considered Zach to be the savior of this program. It doesn't need any. The Fighting Sioux tradition was formed long before Zach came, and it will continue well beyond his departure. It was nice to see such a class act play the game in a Sioux uniform; but to me, everyone who puts on that jersey and pours their guts out on the ice is truly special. I look forward to a new team that gels together with grit and determination that will take them to a national title. One that somehow finds a way to win, no matter what. You look at what Potulny did for the Gophers in this capacity, and you can imagine how much they will miss him. A bigger loss, in my opinion. Who leaves and who stays? It really doesn't matter. It only creates opportunity for someone else to step up and lead. To finish what was started. Go Sioux. taz Thought it would be fitting to click here and have a listen while reading Taz Boy's post. Especially after seeing the mood in this forum the past couple days. It's not about one person, people. It's about the program. Let's lighten up a bit. October will be here soon enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Boy Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 Have a good laugh, but I know what Zach thought about WCHA officiating. Yes, and we heard it from Dean and Virg as well. The reason I poke fun at this is because it borders on, no, it sits square in the corner of whining. Jeff Panzer was absolutely mauled in 2000-01. It became laughable watching the big old boys from Denver and Wisco sit on top of him. He skated through, around, and past it to lead his team to a title re-match. For that, he even got immortalized with a Bobble Head. I don't doubt that the thought of getting beat on for another year in the WCHA contributed to Zach's decision. But, only when compared to a huge contract from the NJ Devils-- a Cup Crazy team no less. Without that, one would think that it would be a honor and a privilege to get the crap kicked out of you while scoring goals for the Kelly Green. Ya gotta think the chick action wasn't too bad either. taz digs chicks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shred Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 To end all of this talk about Hale...are there any NJ fans out there who can tell us all who the Enforcer(s) are on the team? Hale was probably mentioned due to not knowing the roster well. The point about getting your butt kicked by whomever is the important fact here. Alright people...A HUGE DEVILS FAN HERE... First off the Devils are a tough team...they are extremely disciplined and are the least penalized team in the NHL. To a man everybody on the team will throw down to protect a kid like Parise... The main "tough guys" who will go with anyone are Sean Brown, Turner Stevenson, Grant Marshall(out 4 weeks with a broken nuckle), and Colin White... The Full time Goon who was one of the best(Jim McKenzie) signed with Nashville last year as a free agent to get more ice time and $$$ after the Cup victory... The Devils don't take $hit from any team, and even the players like Elias, Gomez, Gionta, Langenbrunner, Madden, Brylin, etc. will step up and drop'em to back up one of their own... The Devils do not get intimidated and Zach will be in great hands a class organization... everyone who saw the World Juniors became total Parise fans, and we look forward to seeing him do great things in the swamp... any of you people who want to talk about the team go to www.devilsrule.com we got members that post pictures of the Devils practices at the South Mountain Arena, and you will get all the latest news on Zach and the Cup Champs... Let's see if he gets any time in against the Rangers... Later- Shred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 I don't doubt that the thought of getting beat on for another year in the WCHA contributed to Zach's decision. Which was my point. Nice to see that you got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFSIOUX#1 Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 Probably an inappropriate question but one that keeps going through my mind - Was Zach's decision in any way tied to the fact that he was unhappy with UND's program? I just keep thinking back to the World Juniors where he said that Eaves was the best coach he ever played for. Interested in hearing peoples thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 Probably an inappropriate question but one that keeps going through my mind - Was Zach's decision in any way tied to the fact that he was unhappy with UND's program? I doubt it. As Taz Boy says, I'm sure it has more to do with the money and living the dream of playing in the NHL with a perennial Stanley Cup contender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoteauRinkRat Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 I agree with PCM, Zach is fulfilling his dream to play in the NHL and the money was just to much to pass up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoneyLine Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 I haven't check the whole thread, but wondering what # ZPar will have with NJ. #11 is taken, any ideas. This is very important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supertrex Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 I'm glad for him. I'm also looking forward to watching the remaining guys and the new guys step up. If my memory serves me correctly, the Sioux played pretty well while Zach, Brady and Drew were at the World Juniors...they all had to contribute and play a team game. Also, I remember that earlier this year in one of the funniest posts ever, Junior Lessard was declared the Savior, the son of God... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAR Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 The Sioux will be fine next year assuming no more departures at all positions but center. Genoway, McMahon and Zajac are the only centers slated to be on the roster, we are going to be thin at center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USA Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 Don't know if this has been posted yet or not, Parise will not play tonight. Here is what Lamoriello had to say: Center Zach Parise, who the Devils traded up to select 17th overall in the 2003 draft, decided to forego his final two seasons at the University of North Dakota to sign a three-year entry-level contract with the reigning Stanley Cup champions on Monday. Parise, the 19-year-old son of former Islander J.P. Parise, will report to New Jersey for a physical, but Lamoriello said he will not play in tonight's game against the Rangers. He is eligible to play for the Devils in the playoffs. "He feels he's ready to come out of school and so do we," Lamoriello said. "That being said, no decision has been made yet as to whether he's going to Albany or coming here." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwing77 Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 Don't know if this has been posted yet or not, Parise will not play tonight. Here is what Lamoriello had to say: Center Zach Parise, who the Devils traded up to select 17th overall in the 2003 draft, decided to forego his final two seasons at the University of North Dakota to sign a three-year entry-level contract with the reigning Stanley Cup champions on Monday. Parise, the 19-year-old son of former Islander J.P. Parise, will report to New Jersey for a physical, but Lamoriello said he will not play in tonight's game against the Rangers. He is eligible to play for the Devils in the playoffs. "He feels he's ready to come out of school and so do we," Lamoriello said. "That being said, no decision has been made yet as to whether he's going to Albany or coming here." A Mind game. I think the abruptness of which ZPar left UND, the rumor of his ire about the performance, and the money that he's seeing could pose issues with on ice performance. Hence why Lam is holding ZPar out of the lineup at the time. ZPar MIGHT even spend one game with Albany just to get the flow of the pros. Lammoriello knows what he is doing. The fact that ZPar is eligible to play in the playoffs tells me right away that the latest I could forsee ZPar maknig his NHL debut would be the first game of the playoffs. And I think he'll wear #9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoteauRinkRat Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 The fact that ZPar is eligible to play in the playoffs tells me right away that the latest I could forsee ZPar maknig his NHL debut would be the first game of the playoffs. I think he will play a game before then, if not, I can't see him making his debut in the playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwing77 Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 I think he will play a game before then, if not, I can't see him making his debut in the playoffs. I would think you are right, CRR, I was just stating that the latest possible debut would be the playoffs otherwise, they wouldn't have really made a deal of the playoffs deal. ZPar is for real, folks, and he'll make it soon enough. And I don't think Zach was dissatisfied with UND. He was more dissatisfied with how the officials treated him more than anything. Zach is a great guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I think he will play a game before then, if not, I can't see him making his debut in the playoffs. Speculation according to the Red Star and Sickle is that Zach could make his debute against the Boston Bruins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faribohockeyguy Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 I think the real reason Zach left is that he and Bochenski had made a bet on who could "make" a Million dollars first. All kidding aside, I had heard from a friend in Faribault who is friends with the Parise family, that Zach and J.P. had been talking to Jesse Bull, remember him? Bull is now a financial advisor and had met with the Parises' before the Final 5. This leads me to believe that nothing that happened to him in the Final 5 had anything to do with his decision. I had a chance to be around Zach on a couple of occasions. For a kid with a bright future, I had never seen such a humble and down to earth person. Feel lucky you got to enjoy him as long as you could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaNorthStar Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 I think the real reason Zach left is that he and Bochenski had made a bet on who could "make" a Million dollars first. All kidding aside, I had heard from a friend in Faribault who is friends with the Parise family, that Zach and J.P. had been talking to Jesse Bull, remember him? Bull is now a financial advisor and had met with the Parises' before the Final 5. This leads me to believe that nothing that happened to him in the Final 5 had anything to do with his decision. I had a chance to be around Zach on a couple of occasions. For a kid with a bright future, I had never seen such a humble and down to earth person. Feel lucky you got to enjoy him as long as you could. I remember hearing that JP has kept his kids well grounded. That is why I think that Zach had thought this through and it wasn't spur of the moment. I can't say I blame him, and harbor no hard feelings towards him, as I harbored no hard feelings for Travis Roche either. Yeah, we remember Bull, and his stupid little brother too. Max had the game winning shot. Jesse's cool with us though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streakygopher Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Gosh, you could say that the Gophers won in 2002 with a bunch of nobodies. You really didn't expect that to go unnoticed, now did you? Nobodies? Taffe, Pohl, Leopold, Ballard, Martin, Demarchi, Koalska, Riddle, Potulny...maybe you just have higher standards for collegiate-level talent, but I think all of these guys can play....and so does the NHL braintrust. The only way a team can win that tournament with just average to good talent ("a bunch of nobodies") is if their goalie stands on his head (see Denver). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwing77 Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 You really didn't expect that to go unnoticed, now did you? Nobodies? Taffe, Pohl, Leopold, Ballard, Martin, Demarchi, Koalska, Riddle, Potulny...maybe you just have higher standards for collegiate-level talent, but I think all of these guys can play....and so does the NHL braintrust. The only way a team can win that tournament with just average to good talent ("a bunch of nobodies") is if their goalie stands on his head (see Denver). Apart from maybe Taffe, Leopold, Ballard, and Martin, I'd really say the rest are roleplayers who play their roles rather well. I'm not saying those others are all poor players, I'm just saying that there could be a fair deal of people who are fans of college hockey that wouldn't know who they were even in uniform. The NHL Braintrust also thought Alexandre Daigle could play... 4+ teams later.... So, in all honesty, what has Taffe done in the pros thus far? Pohl? I know Leopold and Martin have been doing alright. I've never been a big fan of DeMarchi. David Hale had a better defensive ability than DeMarchi ever had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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