The Minnesota Wild got its assistant captain back at practice on Friday.
Zach Parise, less than 48 hours after the death of his father, returned to the ice with his teammates on Friday. He is expected to play Saturday when the Wild host the Nashville Predators, the Star Tribune reports.
Zach Parise on the ice taking shots this morning. Expected to join full #mnwild practice. pic.twitter.com/PxPJBcm3vF
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 9, 2015
Parise was away from the team with his family much of this week. He did not play in losses Tuesday to San Jose and Thursday to Chicago.
“My dad probably would have been mad at me for skipping the San Jose game and would have been mad at me for not playing last night too,” Parise told reporters after practice. “So it was important for me to get back.”
Parise said the outpouring of support for his family “has been amazing.”
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He said his teammates, particularly Ryan Suter, who lost his own father right before the season opened, have been very supportive.
“When he knew it was the last couple of days he was calling a lot and checking in, it meant a lot to us,” said Parise.
Following Saturday’s game, the Pioneer Press notes Minnesota is scheduled to fly to Chicago to face the Blackhawks and Parise is planning to travel.
“It’s hard. The timing sucks,” Parise told reporters. “We’re going on the road and leaving for a week and having to leave my mom. But my brother’s there, staying at home, so she’ll have someone there.”
Yeo on Parise: Great to have him back in the lineup, even better to have him back around us. #mnwild
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 9, 2015
