Parise eyes Stanley Cup after signing with Avalanche

DENVER -- Zach Parise is looking forward to one last attempt at winning the Stanley Cup, and he thinks the Colorado Avalanche give him his best chance to do it.

"Just from watching and playing against this group for a long time, it's no secret how good they are," he said Sunday after his first official practice with the team. "This being my last go at it, nothing's guaranteed, but I want to put myself in a spot where you have a good chance. That's all you ask for, so to me, that was the biggest draw."

The 39-year-old forward signed with Colorado as a free agent on Jan. 26, but his desire to return to the NHL was rekindled months ago.

"I was on a golf trip with some buddies over in Scotland and it was right during training camp (in September), and then I got back. I was fully intending on being done playing," Parise said. "When I got back, you start seeing your buddies are leaving, training camps are starting. It was then that I had the opportunity to play. It was brought to my attention I'd be allowed to train and play half a year.

"It was kind of my wife that pushed me to do it. She said, 'You got a great opportunity. You might as well do it.' So it was like September that I was like, 'All right, I'm going to give this a shot.'"

Parise had 34 points (21 goals, 13 assists) in 82 games for the New York Islanders last season and said on May 1 that he would play for the Islanders this season or retire.

But after spending his offseason training in Minnesota, skating with his former high school team and in a men's league with fellow hockey parents, his hard work put him in a position to be ready to help the Avalanche during the second half of the season.

"We're going to throw him right into the fire as usual," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Sunday. "He's been skating for a long time. He's in phenomenal condition. He's a guy that kind of just keeps himself ready to go, a little bit like say (Colorado forward Andrew) Cogliano. Veteran guy that's been around a long time."

Parise has 879 points (429 goals, 450 assists) in 1,224 regular-season NHL games for the Islanders, Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils, and 80 points (37 goals, 43 assists) points in 111 playoff games. He has made the playoffs in 14 of his 18 NHL seasons but has advanced to the Stanley Cup Final only once, that coming with the Devils in 2012, when they lost in six games to the Los Angeles Kings.

The Avalanche (32-14-3) are first in the Central Division and have won their division each of the past three seasons. Colorado also won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

"I'm excited to see what he can bring for us," Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar said of Parise at the NHL All-Star Game this weekend. "I think he can be a great depth add. Regardless of his age, he was scoring goals last year for the Islanders. Hopefully we can put him in a role where he feels comfortable right away and put him in a spot to succeed. Really excited to meet him and see what he can bring to our team."

Parise is expected to play on the second line with center Ryan Johansen and forward Artturi Lehkonen when he makes his debut at the New York Rangers on Monday (7 p.m. ET; MSG, ALT). It is the first game of a season-long six-game road trip for the Avalanche.

"I've been sitting at home for a long time, so I'm excited to get out on the road and play and spend some time with the group," Parise said. "Whatever role, whatever position they ask me to play, you go out and do it, and I'm looking forward to that. I did a lot of that the last couple years in New York, played all over the lineup and in all different situations, and it was a lot of fun."

NHL.com director Pete Jensen contributed to this report