New York Islanders Who Grew Up in the Hockey State of Minnesota

I’m not a math genius, but if you are not from Canada and you are a professional ice hockey player, there’s a high probability you are from the great state of Minnesota, otherwise known as “The State of Hockey”.

For the New York Islanders, they have six players from the United States, four ailing from Minnesota. Now, during the years 1993-2000, there was no hockey team playing in Minnesota. The North Stars left in 1993 and the Wild did not become an expansion team until the year 2000.

Regardless, Minnesota is their home, and beating your hometown team is always a special moment.

“When you play your hometown team, you want to have a good showing and get a win,” Islanders Josh Bailey said regarding his Minnesotan teammates. “So it’s, it’s no different here for those Minnesota guys.”

Let’s dive into the Minnesotans (I like this word) on the New York Islanders roster ahead of their meeting with their hometown state.

Anders Lee, 30, Edina

New York Islanders captain Anders Lee was born on July 3, 1990, in a small suburb of Minneapolis called Edina. He was a natural at football and hockey and in 2004 at the age of 14, Lee transferred to St. Thomas Academy to play hockey for a strong program. In 2006, at 16, Lee was a champion.

However, for his junior year of high school, he transferred back to his hometown high school, Edina High School for a few reasons.

One, the 20-mile round trip commute to St. Thomas was a tough one and two because he wanted to play hockey with the friends he grew up with.

In his first year back, Lee won the starting quarterback job in the fall, helping the Edina Hornets to their best finish in 10 years. He finished third in scoring with 52 points in the winter season, as his hockey team went 26-1.

During his senior season, he was a football star, as he was a finalist for Minnesota’s “Mr. Football” after he threw for 2,007 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 1,105 yards and 32 touchdowns. He did not slow down when he shifted from the field to the ice for his last ride with the hockey team.

With 25 goals and 59 assists in 31 games, Lee finished as one of the top scorers in the league. Although his team did not do any damage in the playoffs, he had one heck of a final two seasons at Edina High School.

Due to his ability in football and hockey, Lee was offered scholarships to play both at Harvard and Michigan, yet turned down those options to play just hockey at the University of Notre Dame.

Zach Parise, 37, Minneapolis

Parise was born on July 28, 1984, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, less than a 20-minute drive to the old Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, where the North Stars played.

Out of all the players on this list, Zach Parise is the only Minnesota native to play for the Minnesota Wild. He played for his home team from 2012-to 2021, and his family played a major part in his free-agent decision to head home following his time in New Jersey.

Zach wore no. 11, in honor of his father J.P. Parise, who wore no. 11 during his nine seasons with the Minnesota North Stars.

Parise played Midget AAA hockey at Shattuck-St. Maries, located in Faribault, Minnesota, where his father worked. Over his last two years in high school, Parise scored 146 goals and registered 194 assists in 125 games.

During his time with Shattuck, Parise was invited twice to compete in the Mac’s AAA hockey tournament in Calgary, Alberta. Both years, Parise won tournament MVP and was elected to the All-Star tournament team.

Parise ended his senior year with one more award as the school’s “Best All-Around Athlete” and committed to the University of North Dakota.

Kieffer Bellows, 23, Edina

New York Islanders winger and young forward Kieffer Bellows is also from Edina, Minnesota. He was born 10 years after Anders Lee, on June 10, 1998.

Kieffer’s father, Brian Bellows, played in the NHL from 1982-99, putting on the sweaters of five NHL teams, including the Minnesota North Stars.

Playing hockey on the pond was a childhood memory of Kieffer’s as he said his dad would always lace the skates up and join him when he could.

Bellows played hockey at Lee’s Alma Mata, as he helped Edina High School win the 2014 Class 2A State Championship his sophomore season.

Following his sophomore season at Edina High School, Bellows joined the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League in South Dakota.

Brock Nelson, 30, Warroad

New York Islanders’ second-line center Brock Nelson was born on Oct. 15, 1991, and is from Warroad, Minnesota, a six-hour drive from Edina, where Lee and Bellows grew up.

Nelson played his high school hockey at Warroad High School for three seasons, with his first breakout season in his junior year. In 25 games in 2008-09, Nelson had 35 goals and 23 assists.

In his senior year, he turned it up a notch.

During the last ride at Warroad High School, Nelson recorded 39 goals and 34 assists for 73 points in just 24 games. He was a finalist for Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey Award and, following that season, committed to the University of North Dakota.

Fun Fact

As stated, Anders Lee and Kieffer Bellows are from Edina, Minnesota. The fun fact is that Zach Parise now lives there.