North Dakota's Hockey Magazine
2008 Summer Edition
ICE TIME HOCKEY ND
SUMMER EDITION
A Devil Of A Time! NHL Star, Parise Makes A Visit To Magic City Walmart!
Saturday June 21, 2008
With the National Hockey League Draft in full swing, North Dakota hockey fans were treated to special day, thanks to the Minot Walmart store. The store which won a national Gatorade sales contest, received their reward in the form of a visit from former UND star and current New Jersey Devil star Zach Parise. Parise arrived just before noon and spent time signing autographs and taking photos, first with Walmart employees and then with the general public as a guest of Gatorade.
"It's pretty exciting to have Zach here today," Walmart store general manager Dave Bussard said. "We won a national sales contest for Gatorade and the prize was the visit from Zach. It's pretty nice for the whole community to share this with us."
While Parise was the center of attraction sitting at special autograph booth in the front of the store, Walmart and Gatorade provided free bottles of the variety of Gatorade brands for anyone stopping by.
Gatorade representative James Young was the person in charge of getting Parise in and out of the Magic City and expressed his gratitude to Bussard and his staff for achieving their sales goal.
"Dave and his staff did a great job in promoting and selling Gatorade products and we are happy to be able to bring Zach to their store," Young said.
With Parise in Minot, many Fighting Sioux fans rekindled fond memories of the slick skating forward who just a few years ago was leading a dominant team at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.
"As soon as I heard he (Parise) was coming, I have been telling everyone. This is a once in a lifetime chance to meet a NHL star," Walmart greeter Bob Miller said. "I came in a few hours early just to make sure I got a chance to visit with him before I started work."
Miller, perhaps one of the most loyal UND hockey fans in Minot was smiling from ear-to-ear when he got a chance to shake hands, take a photo, receive an autograph and chant the "Yaba Daba Do, Let's Go Sioux," with Parise.
"I haven't heard that (chant) in a long time," Parise said. "It's pretty neat the way the whole state gets behind the Fighting Sioux."
Miller was just one of hundreds of hockey fans, young and old, who enjoyed the time with Parise. Many brought a variety of UND items, but there was also a spattering of New Jersey Devils jerseys and caps as well, including a lady who assured Parise that there were plenty of dedicated fans of the Devils in North Dakota as evidence of her Devils credit card she proudly displayed.
While Parise now makes his living as a member of the New Jersey Devils, he will always have a soft spot in his heart for UND.
"I will be going back to Grand Forks next month for a golf tournament, but I don't get a chance to get back too often," Parise said. "I keep up with what's happening when I can, I see (Chris) Porter is in St. Louis this week and I look forward to playing against T.J. (Oshie) when the season gets started."
Parise has established himself as one of the Devils top forwards and enjoys playing with former Sioux teammate Travis Zajac who is also a member of the Devils.
With Zach a stabilizing force for New Jersey, brother Jordan is still battling in the Devils minor league system trying to crack the National Hockey League lineup.
While the excitement of the moment was clear, the photos and autographs will last forever. After all this was a day to rub elbows with a young National Hockey League star.
Saturday June 21, 2008
With the National Hockey League Draft in full swing, North Dakota hockey fans were treated to special day, thanks to the Minot Walmart store. The store which won a national Gatorade sales contest, received their reward in the form of a visit from former UND star and current New Jersey Devil star Zach Parise. Parise arrived just before noon and spent time signing autographs and taking photos, first with Walmart employees and then with the general public as a guest of Gatorade.
"It's pretty exciting to have Zach here today," Walmart store general manager Dave Bussard said. "We won a national sales contest for Gatorade and the prize was the visit from Zach. It's pretty nice for the whole community to share this with us."
While Parise was the center of attraction sitting at special autograph booth in the front of the store, Walmart and Gatorade provided free bottles of the variety of Gatorade brands for anyone stopping by.
Gatorade representative James Young was the person in charge of getting Parise in and out of the Magic City and expressed his gratitude to Bussard and his staff for achieving their sales goal.
"Dave and his staff did a great job in promoting and selling Gatorade products and we are happy to be able to bring Zach to their store," Young said.
With Parise in Minot, many Fighting Sioux fans rekindled fond memories of the slick skating forward who just a few years ago was leading a dominant team at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.
"As soon as I heard he (Parise) was coming, I have been telling everyone. This is a once in a lifetime chance to meet a NHL star," Walmart greeter Bob Miller said. "I came in a few hours early just to make sure I got a chance to visit with him before I started work."
Miller, perhaps one of the most loyal UND hockey fans in Minot was smiling from ear-to-ear when he got a chance to shake hands, take a photo, receive an autograph and chant the "Yaba Daba Do, Let's Go Sioux," with Parise.
"I haven't heard that (chant) in a long time," Parise said. "It's pretty neat the way the whole state gets behind the Fighting Sioux."
Miller was just one of hundreds of hockey fans, young and old, who enjoyed the time with Parise. Many brought a variety of UND items, but there was also a spattering of New Jersey Devils jerseys and caps as well, including a lady who assured Parise that there were plenty of dedicated fans of the Devils in North Dakota as evidence of her Devils credit card she proudly displayed.
While Parise now makes his living as a member of the New Jersey Devils, he will always have a soft spot in his heart for UND.
"I will be going back to Grand Forks next month for a golf tournament, but I don't get a chance to get back too often," Parise said. "I keep up with what's happening when I can, I see (Chris) Porter is in St. Louis this week and I look forward to playing against T.J. (Oshie) when the season gets started."
Parise has established himself as one of the Devils top forwards and enjoys playing with former Sioux teammate Travis Zajac who is also a member of the Devils.
With Zach a stabilizing force for New Jersey, brother Jordan is still battling in the Devils minor league system trying to crack the National Hockey League lineup.
While the excitement of the moment was clear, the photos and autographs will last forever. After all this was a day to rub elbows with a young National Hockey League star.
Contact Ice Time Hockey ND Magazine at:
info@icetimend.info
701-389-0564
