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Hockey Legend J.P. Parise Passes Away

J.P. Parise was hockey in Minnesota. A star for the North Stars for so many years and someone who provided more to the sport in that state than any other figure in history.

Sadly, Parise passed away on Wednesday at the age of 73 after a year-long battle with lung cancer.

Parise played 14 seasons in the NHL, including nine with the North Stars. He racked up 238 goals, 358 assists and earned two All-Star game appearances.

After his lengthy NHL career, Parise served as an assistant coach in the North Star organization for nine years and worked with many young hockey players for decades following his retirement.

The National Hockey League family mourns the passing and cherishes the memory of J.P. Parise,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a league release. “Especially in his adopted home state of Minnesota, J.P. was the consummate player, teacher and administrator in the game.”

The Parise family also thanked the public for its outpouring of support during what has been a difficult time for the family.

We appreciate the outpouring of support we have received from family, friends and the entire hockey community during this difficult time,” the Parise family said in a statement. “J.P. was a great husband, father and grandpa and will be greatly missed by all of us.

Parise was surrounded by family, including his wife, Donna, and two sons, Zach and Jordan. He is also survived by the two children he had in his first marriage.

The youngest, Zach, is a standout for the Minnesota Wild. Zach, who signed a 13-year free-agent contract with Minnesota back in 2012, had this to say about a fishing trip he took with his father after finding out about the cancer diagnosis.

Just him and I for two days on a boat,” Zach said in September. “Hopefully he lives for 20 more years, but I want to spend as much time with him. Things happen for a reason, and with [Ryan Suter and I] deciding to come back here and play for the Wild, I can’t imagine if I was playing somewhere else and he was going through this. It would be horrible.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Minnesota hockey community and Parise’s family during these most difficult times.

Photo: Star Tribune

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