List: 10 Best NCAA Products in NHL
Jan 10, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35) makes a save on Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise (11) during the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
3. Zach Parise
College: University of North Dakota
The path that Zach followed to the NHL is one that has become common among the United States and Canada’s best players. He attended the storied Shattuck-St. Mary’s Boarding School in Fairbault, Minnesota where his late father, J.P. (may he rest in peace) worked. From there, he played NCAA hockey at North Dakota for all four years before becoming a New Jersey Devil. Parise has since risen amongst the ranks as one of the States’ best hockey players and scored four goals and just as many assists at the 2010 Olympic games, where he was perhaps the 2nd best American player behind Ryan Miller. Since then, he’s moved across conferences to the Minnesota Wild, where he has been stellar but is yet to make it past the second round.