October 30, 2014 at 2:39 p.m.
Wildcat alumni on-ice, in the office, with Wild farm team
Wildcat alumni on-ice, in the office, with Wild farm team
After graduating from high school, the hard-working Parenteau’s seven year journey to the Iowa Wild began when he played one year of Tier III junior hockey for the St. Paul Lakers. He moved up to Tier II and played two more years for the Alaska Avalanche in Wasilla, Alaska, before walking on at the University of Minnesota as a freshman in 2010-2011. He spent four years with the Golden Gophers, culminating in an appearance in last spring’s Frozen Four in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a senior.
After the Frozen Four, Parenteau headed over to Finland for the month of May and participated in a pre-summer training camp for Vaasan Sport of the Liiga, known in English as the Finnish Elite League. Liiga is the top professional league in Finland.
After camp, he returned to Minnesota and wasn’t sure if he was going back to Finland. He said, “A couple of weeks passed and I didn’t hear from Finland, so I got a new agent in the states and started contacting teams. I signed with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL. I also got a tryout with the Iowa Wild. If I hadn’t made the Wild, I would have headed down to Orlando.”
Parenteau made the most of his tryout, was offered a contract and signed with Iowa. He has played in two of the Wild’s six games so far this season.
Parenteau talked about the differences between college hockey and minor league hockey. “It’s definitely a new experience,” he said. “It’s not the college lifestyle any more. No one is breathing down your back to be ready. It’s a business, so we’re in the professional world. If you don’t perform day in and day out, you’re sent down or released. In college, if you didn’t perform, you might have to sit out a game but you were still on the team.
“It’s a fast, physical style of play here. You have to be prepared no matter who you face. And one big difference from college hockey is that fighting is allowed here.”
Parenteau isn’t the only graduate of Chisago Lakes High School associated with the Iowa Wild.
Bryce Wilkerson graduated from Chisago Lakes High School in 2006. He headed down to Minnesota State Mankato and graduated in 2010 with a degree in sports management. He interned for the Minnesota Vikings in 2009 and 2010 and with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs minor league baseball team in 2010, working in the box office.
He joined the staff of the Iowa Wild in 2013 when it was announced that the Minnesota Wild were moving the farm team from Houston, Texas to Des Moines, Iowa. Wilkerson started in the promotions department and worked with the Ice Crew and the Mascot.
In 2014, he was appointed Arena Coordinator, dealing with promotions and operations during game days. Wilkerson’s father, Andy says he’s having a great time.
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