VIDEO: Zach Parise returns to New Jersey, gets booed by Devils fans

By Darian Somers

Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise would probably have been booed for helping an old woman cross the street in New Jersey on Thursday night.

Parise, the former captain of the Devils, returned to the Prudential Center for the first time since signing a 13-year deal with the Wild after the 2011-12 season, and he didn't get the red carpet treatment, to say the least.

When he skated on to the ice, he was booed. As soon as he touched the puck, he was booed. After every hit, pass, or penalty, Devils fans made it known that he's persona non grata in Newark:

Parise gets a nice cheer when PA announces his penalty. Biggest cheer he's likely to get tonight.
— Tal Pinchevsky (@TalPinch) March 20, 2014

Fans go nuts when Parise' name is announced for penalty
— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) March 20, 2014

The biggest jeer of the night came after Parise was credited with the first Minnesota goal of the game 0:21 into the third period. The crowd of 14,772 showered him with boos befitting a cartoon villain.

For what it's worth, the hostility wasn't exactly unexpected:

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