Zach Parise says time with Avalanche was 'amazing'

Zach Parise decided mid-season he was not ready to hang up his skates and wanted one last run at the Stanley Cup before he called it quits. He chose to give it a try with the Colorado Avalanche but unfortunately will retire without achieving the NHL's holy grail.

"Really tough. But we were able to get a great win down there in Game 5. Wish we were able to get one of those first two home games, make a big difference. But unfortunately it’s tough to come back from down 3-1," Parise said after the Game 6 loss to the Dallas Stars.

The 39-year-old forward signed with the Avs on Jan. 26 and earned 10 points in 30 regular-season games. He put up another three points in 11 postseason games in burgundy and blue, including one in his second-to-last NHL game.

"We talked him into coming in here. He had some options, and the goal is to succeed ... ," head coach Jared Bednar said. "He’s (Parise) just such a great pro and great person. Everyone in our room was rooting for him. Everyone has their motivations, but everyone was playing as hard as they can and I'm sure that's part of it."

Related: Zach Parise and Ryan Suter share wonderful moment

The Minneapolis, Minnesota native played with fellow American-born players who grew up idolizing him — Miles Wood and Ross Colton. He found success with them and several other players on different lines while being a positive influence in the locker room.

"It was amazing. It really was an enjoyable time. Sometimes it pushed me to a spot I didn’t feel I could still do," Parise said. "It was just being around these guys and the level of talent of these players it was pretty special. This team’s not going anywhere. They’re going to be around and they’re going to win again. So, it was a great group of people to be a part of."

Fellow veteran forward 36-year-old Andrew Cogliano, who becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1 , was hoping the team could have gotten Parise a Cup before retirement.

"He’s a great guy, came, tried to give him an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup and fell short, which is not a nice thing to think about. He’s a great guy and guys like him should be winning," Cogliano said.

Parise had an amazing 19-year career with the New Jersey Devils, who drafted him 17th overall in the 2003 Draft, for seven seasons before spending nine with the Minnesota Wild and two with the New York Islanders. His final stint with the Avalanche was memorable for him but it is unknown what is next for him post-NHL.

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