NHL Network hires ex-Wild player Mark Parrish
Mark Parrish has transformed himself from a professional hockey player to a rising star in the broadcasting world, with NHL Network recently hiring him as a studio analyst.
The 41-year-old Bloomington native will make his debut on NHL Network during "NHL Tonight" on Monday at 9 p.m. Central Time.
"I'm incredibly excited about it," Parrish told NHL.com. "It's obviously a show I watch [darn] near every single day and always enjoy it with former teammates, former agents, players that either played against, fought against, with and everything. I've always respected all of their opinions. I'm excited to hopefully keep up with them. I'm just giddy."
The addition of Parrish means there will be two Minnesotans with a seat in NHL Network's studios, as he joins Minneapolis native and former Fox Sports North host Jamie Hersch, who has been at the network for the last few years.
Parrish was hired last year as a part-time analyst for the New York Islanders with MSG Networks, and before that he was (and still is) providing color commentary for St. Cloud State hockey games and the Minnesota high school hockey tournament, both on the radio and on TV.
Parrish is also a regular guest on KFAN radio's popular "Power Trip Morning Show," in addition to the co-host of a hockey-focused podcast with Cities 97.1's Paul Fletcher.
Parrish starred on the Bloomington Jefferson High School hockey teams that dominated the state in the mid-1990s. He went on to star at St. Cloud State University before playing 12 years in the NHL, including two seasons with the Wild (2006-2008).
Parrish was the head coach of Orono High School's boys' hockey team for a year and still helps out the program.