While the July 4 news that Zach Parise was leaving the New Jersey Devils to join fellow prized free agent Ryan Suter with the Minnesota Wild caused great rejoicing in the Twin Cities and elsewhere around the Land of 10,000 Lakes, some of Parise's old fans in the Garden State haven't taken things quite so well.
The image of Parise's jersey on fire calls to mind the image of a LeBron James jersey burning in Cleveland in the moments after "The Decision," with the announcement that James was "taking his talents to South Beach" setting off a firestorm in Cleveland.
It's the absolute wrong image for Parise.
While Parise will certainly be well compensated in Minnesota, having signed a 13-year contract worth $98 million, his annual salary cap hit of approximately $7.5 million is slightly more than a 25 percent raise over the $6 million he made last year, and it certainly would have worked in New Jersey, which still has $16 million under the salary cap for next season. Parise said himself that his decision would have nothing to do with money, and while money is sometimes a factor for athletes who say it isn't, given the facts, it's hard to argue with him.
Second, while James left his home state and his basketball home for the first seven years of his career, Parise left the Devils to go to his home state of Minnesota. Given the passion for hockey that exists in the state - another stark contrast to James and his late-arriving fans in Miami - it's hard to blame him. The Wild's home at the Xcel Energy Center was the model for the Devils' home at the Prudential Center, with hockey jerseys from every high school in the state ringing the concourses, flags for every NHL team hanging from the rafters, and a statue of "Miracle on Ice" coach Herb Brooks (former coach at both the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State University) right outside the building. The Xcel Energy Center is a hockey arena, as opposed to an arena where hockey happens to be played, and reflects the passion that Minnesotans have for the sport.
Unfortunately, that passion has been rewarded with one NHL team that left town under controversial circumstances and another that (until recently) gave its fans very little to cheer about. Like the long-suffering fans in Montreal and Toronto, fans in Minnesota deserve better, and now that they're getting better, it's tough to begrudge them the opportunity to bring home one of their own.
In reality, the only aspect of the situation that mirrors James' move to Miami in any way was the fact that he arrived at the same time as Suter, and that the two friends and former USA Hockey teammates discussed the possibility of going to the same team, just as James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh planned their union together. That having been said, however, Parise's profile as an athlete, handling of the situation, and motivations for moving are so different from James that the comparison is ridiculous.
If Parise wanted the best chance to win a Stanley Cup, he would probably have signed in Pittsburgh to play with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. If he wanted the most money, he almost certainly could have gotten more than he did in Minnesota. The reality is that he's going home and looking to build a championship contender. He's taking on a challenge, and he's doing so respectfully and responsibly.
None of this, of course, is expected to console Devils fans. But it doesn't make him another LeBron James.