ALBANY -- Fans of the Albany River Rats can thank the National Hockey League lockout for at least one residual benefit -- the otherwise lost opportunity to see Zach Parise perform in a setting he likely would never have known.
New Jersey's first-round draft choice in 2003 almost certainly would be playing this season with the Devils, but instead has given Capital Region fans an extended tour of the vast hockey skills that convinced him to leave college after a distinguished two-year stint at North Dakota.
Parise, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound center and son of former NHL grinder J.P. Parise, acknowledges some disappointment about a lost chance to make the Devils' roster, but said he regards a season in the American League as a bonus in his professional development.
"I think it's worked out for the best to get adjusted to the lifestyle and the style of play," said the 20-year-old Parise, the league's top rookie scorer. "It's not the NHL, but it's still a lot tougher than what I would be playing in college. It's a good way to kind of ease into things, and then when things get resolved it may be a different story. Players from here will be going up there, but until that happens, this is a good place for me to be."
Parise's father is the director of hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep School in Minnesota, where Zach put up Wayne Gretzky-like numbers (340 points in 146 games over two seasons). J.P. Parise said he talks to his son nearly every day and tries to keep him focused despite the River Rats' recent struggles.
"I tell him that in a perfect world of hockey, your team is winning and you're making a contribution," said J.P. Parise, who played 14 years in the NHL. "One of them is missing right now, and it's tough for him to deal with that. I just tell him to play smart, keep working hard and making plays."
River Rats defenseman David Hale, Parise's college teammate when he was a junior and Parise was a freshman, knows what it takes to play in the NHL without any AHL experience. He and fellow defenseman Paul Martin both joined the Devils as first-year pros last season. Hale and rookie Aaron Voros room with Parise.
"I think the type of player he is on the ice surprises some players due to the fact that -- let's face it -- he's a smaller guy, but his aggressiveness makes up for that," Hale said. "I'm not surprised. He's got the type of character that I'm sure whatever he does and wherever he goes, he's going to excel."
Hale said he was thrilled that Devils GM Lou Lamoriello kept him after camp last season, but that he sees the benefit of AHL experience.
"I never got a chance to kind of ease into it," Hale said. "He's playing here against guys who have played in the NHL and he's playing against guys who could play in the NHL, so I think it's a good stepping stone for him."
Dean McAmmond, the most experienced NHL veteran on the Rats' roster, has played on lines and special teams with Parise.
"When I first got here, I heard he was a great player," said McAmmond, 31, who's traded checks with some of the best players of his generation. "He had a lot of billing to live up to, but I think he's done fine. He's definitely got skills and he's got a good sense of the game as far as adapting to systems. His work ethic is excellent. On the ice he's tenacious, on the puck a lot. He plays physical, not scared, and he's only 5-11, maybe 185. He's not afraid to go in the corners and battle. I have no doubt that he can play up there, whether it's today or tomorrow."
Parise, feared by collegiate opponents for his speed and ability to find goal-ready teammates on the ice, logged 67 assists in 76 collegiate games. He became an international star when he was named most valuable player in the 2004 World Junior Championships. He had five goals and six assists in six games to lead the U.S. team to the title.
"I've always been more of a set-up guy than a goal-scorer," said Parise, a Minneapolis native whose brother, Jordie, is North Dakota's goalie. "I've had a little cold streak lately (one goal in his past 10 games). I've been hitting a lot of posts, but that all balances out at the end of the year. I've always had more assists than goals, so I'm not worried one bit about that. The goals will come."
Parise has five goals and leads the Rats in scoring with 22 points.
"He's progressing very well," coach Robbie Ftorek said. "He's got some things he's got to learn to adapt to from the college game to this game, and he works at it. I think sometimes it's not happening as quickly as he wants it to so it can be a little frustrating, but that's part of the process. We're not winning the way he's used to winning. He realizes that it's going to come, and he's really doing fine."
"The game is starting to slow down a lot for me, I've noticed in the last few games," said Parise, who had four assists in a game Dec. 8 against Providence. "I'm seeing things a lot better on the ice, a little more clearly. As the season goes on, I think it's going to keep going up more for me. I've been happy with the progress lately."
Parise is far more skilled than his father was, but they share the same hard-working ethic and desire.
"Zach has much better hands and vision than I ever had," said J.P. Parise, who laughed when asked to compare father and son. "I stayed in the NHL because I was a hard worker. I tell Zach that one thing you can control is being the hardest worker on the team."
Ftorek compares Zach Parise with a former River Rat who's gone on to a successful career in the NHL.
"He's a Stevie Sullivan type -- excitement all the time, gives you 100 percent effort all the time," said Ftorek, who had Sullivan on his Calder Cup championship team in 1994-95. "You know every time he gets out there something can happen, and that's excitement."
Ftorek also said the AHL experience should help Parise.
"I think it's a great thing for him because it's more difficult to play here" than in the NHL, Ftorek said. "I'd like him to stop and start a little bit more, be more patient with the puck, but he's going to be a heck of a player. It's a great thing for him to learn this part of the game."
And a bonus for River Rats fans to see it.
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