He was initially drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the third round, 63rd overall, in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. However unable to come to an agreement with the Devils he re-entered into the 1998 draft and was selected in the first round, 20th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche. After playing a few seasons in the WHL with the Kelowna Rockets, Parker started his NHL career with the Avalanche in 1998 and was a member of their 2001 Stanley Cup championship team.