J.P. Parise: Bruins Prospect Turned Minnesota North Stars Leader

J.P. Parise was a prospect of the Boston Bruins in the 1960’s, spending time in the organization starting with Junior ‘A’ in 1961-62. However, his time with the NHL Bruins was limited to 21 games. J.P. was saved by the 1967 Expansion Draft, but in an roundabout sort of way.

Parise went on to an excellent National Hockey League career with the Minnesota North Stars and Minnesota North Stars. He came to the Islanders during the years building up to their Stanley Cup dynasty but was shipped back to the North Stars (by way of the Cleveland Barons) before he had a chance to hoist the trophy.

Junior and Minor Pro

NHL Career

Hockey Card Collection

Coaching

Rookie Card

Career Stats

J.P. Parise – Junior and Minor Pro

Jean Paul Parise played just a single year of major junior hockey, 1961-62 with the Niagara Falls Flyers. In 38 regular season games, he scored eight and assisted on 20 for 38 points. The Flyers finished fourth in the six team OHA Junior A league and reached the finals before being swept by the Hamilton Red Wings in four games. That year, he also played his first pro hockey game, appearing in a single match with the Kingston Frontenacs of the EPHL.

The following season saw J.P. play the full campaign in the EPHL with the Frontenacs. He was teamed with Dick Cherry, Pat Stapleton, Ed Westfall and Bruce Gamble while Harry Sinden took on the dual role of player / assistant coach. Kingston finished first in the four team league and were playoff champs over the Sudbury Wolves in the finals.

In 1963-64 and 1964-65. Parise played in the CPHL with the Minnesota Bruins. Once again, he was teamed with Harry Sinden who was now player / head coach. In the first year, J.P. scored 27 and assisted on 36 for 63 points in 72 games, showing he had some offensive ability. Other teammates on that team include Gary Dornhoefer, Terry Crisp and Don Awrey.

The following year, 1964-65, J.P.’s 56 assists placed him second in the CPHL, one behind teammate Pete Panagabko. Cesare Maniago was between the pipes for Minneapolis, appearing in 67 games. Other teammates include Terry Crisp, Skip Krake and Joe Watson.

Parise and a lot of his Minneapolis teammates moved southwest for 1965-66 and 1966-67 to play for the Oklahoma City Blazers in the CPHL. In the first year, J.P. was a Second Team All-Star with the team winning the championship over the Tulsa Oilers. The Blazers were blessed with the goaltending trio of Bernie Parent, Doug Favell and Gerry Cheevers. Other new teammates include Ron Buchanan, Dallas Smith and Glen Sather. Parise finished fourth in the league with 137 penalty minutes.

In 1966-67, Wayne Cashman, Jean Pronovost and Ross Lonsberry were added to the mix in OKC. The team finished first overall and won their second consecutive title, beating the Omaha Knights in the finals.

J.P. would see the minors for the last time in 1967-68. In his short time with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, Parise played 30 games in the American Hockey League with the Rochester Americans.

J.P. Parise – NHL

Between 1965-66 and 1978-79, J.P. Parise played 890 regular season games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota North Stars, New York Islanders and Cleveland Barons. Over that time, he scored 238 goals and assisted on 356 for 594 points. In 86 Stanley Cup playoff games, he added 58 points.

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J.P. Parise Collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Developed in the Boston Bruins system, Parise played just 21 games with the team between 1965-66 and 1966-67. The Oakland Seals selected him in the eleventh round of the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, 65th overall. However, the Seals traded him to Toronto on October 12, 1967 with Bryan Hextall for Gerry Ehman. He would not play a game for Oakland and would appear in just a single game with the Maple Leafs in 1967-68.

On December 23, 1967, Parise was traded by Toronto the Minnesota North Stars with Milan Marcetta for Murray Hall, Duke Harris, Don Johns, Len Lunde and Ted Taylor. It was the move J.P. needed to really start his NHL career.

In 1969-70, Parise finished sixth in the NHL with 48 assists for the North Stars. He tied for seventh in the league with 72 points, equaling Red Berenson of the St. Louis Blues. Both were a single point ahead of Gordie Howe from the Detroit Red Wings. That point total stood as a Minnesota North Stars record until 1972-73 when Dennis Hextall topped it with 82 points. Ironically, Parise also beat his old team record with a career best 75 points that year.

In fact, 1972-73 also brought career highs with 27 goals and 48 assists over 78 games. That was coming off his six game performance for Team Canada at the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. It was one of seven times he would exceed 20 goals in a season. But, his days in Minnesota were numbered. He was traded January 5, 1975 to the New York Islanders for Ernie Hicke and Doug Rombough.

On January 10, 1978, Parise was shipped to the Cleveland Barons with Jean Potvin with Wayne Merrick going to the Islanders. The following year, he rejoined the North Stars after the Barons were merged into that club.

J.P. Parise – Coaching

After retirement as a player, J.P. Parise stayed with the North Stars in a coaching capacity. He was assistant coach from 1980-81 to 1982-83 and from 1984-85 to 1987-88. Under head coach Glen Sonmor in that first season, Minnesota reached the finals before losing to Parise’s former team, the New York Islanders.

For the 1983-84 season, Parise took on the head coaching role with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles in the Central Hockey League. The team finished third in the five team league and fell in the first round to the Tulsa Oilers. The CHL had several reincarnations. That was the last season for that version.

J.P. Parise – Rookie Card

The J.P. Parise rookie card appears as number 149 in the 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee NHL hockey card set. He is shown with the Minnesota North Stars. His final card is included in the 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee set, despite retiring after 1978-79. That card also shows him with the Minnesota North Stars.

Many of his hockey cards refer to his nickname, ‘Jeep’. Several of his early cards make a point of his 72 point season, at the time a North Stars record. As mentioned, that record was topped by Dennis Hextall in 1972-73 with 82 points.

J.P. Parise Career Stats

Season	Team	Lge	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1961-62	Kingston Frontenacs	EPHL	1	0	0	0	0
1961-62	Niagara Falls Flyers	OHA	38	8	20	28	28
1962-63	Kingston Frontenacs	EPHL	64	11	17	28	64
1963-64	Minneapolis Bruins	CPHL	72	27	36	63	77
1964-65	Minneapolis Bruins	CPHL	70	17	56	73	106
1965-66	Boston Bruins	NHL	3	0	0	0	0
1965-66	Oklahoma City Blazers	CPHL	69	19	30	49	137
1966-67	Boston Bruins	NHL	18	2	2	4	10
1966-67	Oklahoma City Blazers	CPHL	42	11	22	33	98
1967-68	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	1	0	1	1	0
1967-68	Rochester Americans	AHL	30	10	18	28	37
1967-68	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	43	11	16	27	27
1968-69	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	76	22	27	49	57
1969-70	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	74	24	48	72	72
1970-71	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	73	11	23	34	60
1971-72	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	71	19	18	37	70
1972-73	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	78	27	48	75	96
1973-74	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	78	18	37	55	42
1974-75	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	38	9	16	25	40
1974-75	New York Islanders	NHL	41	14	16	30	22
1975-76	New York Islanders	NHL	80	22	35	57	80
1976-77	New York Islanders	NHL	80	25	31	56	46
1977-78	New York Islanders	NHL	39	12	16	28	12
1977-78	Cleveland Barons	NHL	40	9	13	22	27
1978-79	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	57	13	9	22	45
	NHL Totals		890	238	356	594	706