Parise, Suter sign with Minnesota Wild
Sought-after free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter have agreed to 13-year contracts with the Minnesota Wild.
The team declined to provide the terms of the contracts.
Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher says it took courage for his team to go after two players that "half" the National Hockey League wanted to acquire.
Suter said in a conference call on Wednesday that he and Parise made the decision together to come to Minnesota.
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"We were in contact, texting back and forth asking about different places and situations where we could both work," Suter says. "Probably last night into this morning it kind of became realistic."
Suter has spent his first seven years in the NHL with the Nashville Predators. The All-Star defenseman had career highs in points last year, with 7 goals and 39 assists. Suter said Minnesota was the best choice for his family.
Parise, a Minneapolis native, said he had always wanted to play for the Wild.
"Every kid that's grown up in Minnesota would love to play for the Wild," Parise says. "That's the way it is. I was hoping to have the opportunity. And right now I'm lucky that we're able to make it happen."
He led the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup finals this season. He has 194 goals and 216 assists in 503 career games.
Both Parise and Suter are 27 years old.
