Dwight Parrish Dwight Parrish ( born April 6 , 1972 in Southfield , Michigan ) is a retired American professional ice hockey player . North American career . Parrish began his career playing at NCAA level for Ferris State University in his home state of Michigan . In the four seasons Parrish spent with Ferris State , he established himself as a solid team player , featuring 139 times , totalling 35 points and 265 penalty minutes along the way . For the 1996 / 97 season , Parrish would initially sign for the IHL Michigan K - Wings but played just twice before moving to the Fort Wayne Komets , again at IHL level . Parrish failed to settle again , and featured just twice more before moving again , this time to play at the higher ECHL standard with the Dayton Bombers . Parrish became a cornerstone of the Bombers team , playing in more than 60 regular season games . He would stay with the Bombers for the 1997 / 98 season and again played on a regular basis , this time featuring almost 70 times . Parrish would fail to remain with the Bombers for the entire season however , and returned for brief spells with the Michigan K - Wings and the Fort Wayne Komets . Parrish would end the season playing in the AHL though , regarded as the second tier of ice hockey in North America under the NHL . He featured in five games at AHL level , splitting them between the Providence Bruins and the Syracuse Crunch . Despite failing to secure a long - term future with either franchise , Parrish showed that he had enough ability to compete at AHL standard , and signed for the Portland Pirates for the 1998 / 99 season . He proved to be a solid signing , and played in 54 games for the first team , totalling 138 penalty minutes . For the 1999 / 2000 season , Parrish would feature again for the Pirates , although just seven times before returning to the lower ECHL , where he played the rest of the season , 72 games , for the Hampton Roads Admirals . British career . Parrish would make a significant decision for the 2000 / 01 season . Seeking a more certain future , he moved to Europe and signed for the Cardiff Devils , a Welsh team playing in the ISL , the highest level of professional ice hockey in the U . K . at the time . After a successful season with the Devils , Parrish chose to remain in the U . K . and signed for the Manchester Storm . Parrish played for the Storm all the way to the play - off final , but the Storm unfortunately lost on penalty shots to the Sheffield Steelers . Parrish would stay in Manchester for the following year , one dominated by off - ice events for the Storm . Due to a cash crisis , the team was unable to continue and in November folded , playing their last game in Manchester against the London Knights on the 17th of October 2002 . Despite this setback , Parrish would choose to stay in England and began to play for the Basingstoke Bison of the BNL with whom he would finish the season . Despite the collapse of the first Manchester franchise , Parrish would choose to return to the city for the 2003 / 04 season with the Manchester Phoenix , playing their inaugural season in the newly formed EIHL . Parrish took up where he had left off with the Storm , and was a cornerstone of the defence , playing 60 games and helping out with 22 points . Again financial problems would dog the Manchester organisation and the franchise was temporarily suspended towards the end of the 2003 / 04 season . Parrish would stay in the EIHL though , and signed for the Phoenix ' fierce rivals , the Sheffield Steelers . Parrish played just three times for the Steelers before returning to the BNL with the Bracknell Bees , a team which had faced the Storm in the now defunct ISL . Seeking consistency , Parrish would re - sign for the Bees in the 2006 / 07 season , now playing in the EPL . He would soon take on a great deal of responsibility and would be appointed player / coach for the 2007 / 08 term . Despite a successful season with Bracknell , in the summer of 2008 , Parrish would re - sign to play for the Phoenix under head coach Tony Hand . On the 23rd of December 2008 , Parrish disclosed that he was retiring from playing professional ice hockey to take up an employment offer outside the sport back in his native Michigan . As a mark of respect for his services towards ice hockey in Manchester for both the Storm and Phoenix organisations , Parrish ' s number 17 shirt was the first to be retired by the Phoenix , a decision which was announced at Parrish ' s last game , a 3 - 2 home win against the Newcastle Vipers .