Former NHL star J.P. Parise passed away Wednesday night after a year-long battle with lung cancer. He was 73.
J.P, who used to play for the Minnesota North Stars, is the father of Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise.
J.P. Parise, a two-time NHL All-Star also played for the Team Canada national team during his playoff career.
"We appreciate the outpouring of support we have received from family, friends and the entire hockey community during this difficult time," the Parise family said in a statement, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune. "J.P. was a great husband, father and grandpa and will be greatly missed by all of us."
According to the paper, J.P. Parise passed away around 9 p.m. and was surrounded by friends and family upon the time of his death.
Zach Parise left the Wild (18-15-5) to be by his ailing father's side and missed Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks to join his family.
Zach found out that his father had lung cancer last year when he returned home after capturing the Olympic gold medal with Team Canada at the Sochi Olympic Games.
Zach recently told the Star Tribune about a fishing trip he took with his father after finding out.
"Just him and I for two days on a boat," Zach said in September. "Hopefully he lives for 20 more years, but I want to spend as much time with him. Things happen for a reason, and with [Ryan Suter and I] deciding to come back here and play for the Wild, I can't imagine if I was playing somewhere else and he was going through this. It would be horrible."
Between 1963-79, J.P. played for the Boston Bruins, North Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders and Cleveland Barons in his NHL playing career.
J.P. Parise finished his career with 238 goals, 356 assists and 594 points through 890 games.
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