NEWARK – As happy as Zach Parise has been playing for the Minnesota Wild since leaving the Devils two summers ago - and it appears he's loving life playing close to home - there's so much he misses about his first NHL stop.

His misses his old teammates.

His misses his old fans.

His misses being in a place where he grew up on and off the ice playing for a super strict Hall of Fame boss, Devils GM Lou Lamoriello.

"Lou runs a really tight ship there," Parise told reporters. "People have heard the stories — no facial hair, no taping over the stripes on your socks, no jerseys tucked. There's a lot of things.

"It's all about being a team and not one person sticking out in front of anybody else. They really teach you about being a good teammate and being a professional. Everything is first class. They do a good job, when you're a young player especially, [teaching you] what it takes to play in the league and how to be a pro."

Parise left the Devils after seven seasons, as unrestricted free agency led to a return to his native Minnesota on a 13-year, $98 million contract that is one of the richest in hockey.

His first trip back to New Jersey is Thursday night, and while he once was a fan favorite at Prudential Center, Parise figures Devils fans will welcome him back with boos and cheers.

"I'm guessing some mixed reviews," Parise said. "I don't know though. I've said it before: what's important to me is how good I was treated when I was there.

"I understand sports. Fans love their players and their teams and they don't want to see players leave. But the part I'll remember most is how good they were to me when I was there, and that's what matters."

Parise was a Devil from 2005-06 through their 2011-12 Stanley Cup Final season, and along the way he put up five 30-goal seasons and wore the 'C' on his jersey.

The Devils wanted to keep Parise, but four days into the 2012 free agent signing period he was gone on July 4, 2012.

Parise greatly enjoyed his run in New Jersey, but he's even happier in Minnesota. One of the perks there is seeing his father, former Minnesota North Stars winger J.P. Parise, show up for Wild practices and home games, and even join in for pre-game meals.

"It's been great," Parise said. "It's stuff that (my father) wasn't able to do, and wouldn't have been able to do (if I signed elsewhere), and I know he loves that.

"And (my parents are) great babysitters now, so it's worked out pretty good."

Parise, whose wife gave birth to twins in January, says his decision to leave the Devils simply was about going home, not chasing big dollars. His contract is tied for the fourth largest in hockey with teammate Ryan Suter – who signed with the Wild on the same day – but Parise says he turned down a bigger offer from the Philadelphia Flyers.

After Parise made his decision to sign with Minnesota, Lamoriello said that he had made a competitive offer.

Parise has moved on, but his Devils memories are special.

"I look back and I made, hockey aside, a lot of great friends on that team, friends for life," said Parise, who turns 30 in July. "That's a special thing. Then hockey-wise, we had good teams and went to the finals that one year."

His last games with the Devils were the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, a series in which the Los Angeles Kings won the first three, lost the next two and then won the Cup in Game 6.

"That Final stings," Parise said. "You always talk to players that win it or go to the Finals and it's always a unique team and a unique situation, and you develop bonds that you just don't get when you don't make it that far.

One Devils bond that hasn't broken is Parise's relationship with Lamoriello, who drafted him 17th overall in 2003. They still keep in touch with text messages and phone calls.

"We have a great relationship," Parise said. "I don't think he holds a grudge or holds anything against me. He understands that's the way hockey works."

Lamoriello doesn't deny that.

"There's nothing negative," Lamoriello told NJ.com. "The business, you know, always certain things have to happen. It's unfortunate, but it's part of the business."

Parise, who is second on the Wild with 23 goals and 45 points in 54 games, faced the Devils for the first time on Nov. 3. The Wild won that one 4-0 and he assisted on one of the goals.

Thursday will different because he'll be back in his old home.

"It was a lot of really great memories there and I haven't been back since,” he said. “It will be a lot of emotions going through going back to that rink for the first time.

"I'm excited for the game. But I'm also excited for when that game is over. I can’t wait to get it over with. I wish it happened last year."

The Devils and Wild, who are in the Western Conference, didn't meet last season because the lockout led to nothing but conference play.

But Thursday night, Devils fans finally will get a chance to welcome Parise back, one way or another, and according to an NJ.com poll, there will be more boos than cheers.

Whatever the reaction is, Parise hopes fans understand his decision.

"Maybe it made more sense to them since I wanted to go back to Minnesota," he said. "You never know. It's been over a year since it's passed, so hopefully people have forgotten."