Pavel Zacha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pavel Zacha
Zacha with the New Jersey Devils in 2015
Born	(1997-04-06) 6 April 1997 (age 28) Brno, Czech Republic
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position	Centre / left wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Boston Bruins New Jersey Devils
National team	Czech Republic
NHL Draft	6th overall, 2015 New Jersey Devils
Playing career	2013–present

Pavel Zacha (born 6 April 1997) is a professional ice hockey player from the Czech Republic. He plays for the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League (NHL). The New Jersey Devils chose Zacha as the sixth overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Pavel Zacha's Hockey Journey

Early Years in Hockey

Pavel Zacha started playing hockey at a young age. He even played in the famous Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in 2009 and 2010. This is a big tournament for young hockey players from all over the world.

He made his first professional league appearance in the Czech Extraliga during the 2013–14 season. He played for HC Bílí Tygři Liberec in his home country.

Playing in Canada

In 2014, Pavel Zacha was the very first player chosen in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. He joined the Sarnia Sting team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). In his first season with the Sting (2014–15), he scored 34 points in 37 games.

He had an even better season in 2015–16, getting 64 points in 51 games. Coaches in the OHL even voted him the best penalty-killer in his conference. This shows he was great at stopping the other team from scoring when his team had a player in the penalty box.

Pavel also played for the Czech Republic in the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Becoming a Professional Player

Starting with the New Jersey Devils

In 2015, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Pavel Zacha as one of the top young players. The New Jersey Devils picked him sixth overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. This was a huge moment for him!

On 11 August 2015, Zacha signed a three-year contract with the Devils. He played one more season with the Sarnia Sting before joining the Devils. He made his first NHL game appearance on 9 April 2016. In that game, he helped his team score two goals, leading to a 5–1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Pavel became a regular player for the Devils in the 2016–17 season. He scored his first NHL goal on 3 November 2016. He finished that season with 8 goals and 24 points in 70 games.

In November 2018, Zacha was sent to the Binghamton Devils, which is the Devils' minor league team in the American Hockey League (AHL). This helped him get more playing time and improve his skills.

On 10 September 2019, he signed a new three-year contract with the Devils. During the 2019–20 season, Zacha scored 32 points, which was his best season in the NHL at that time.

Joining the Boston Bruins

On 13 July 2022, Pavel Zacha was traded from the Devils to the Boston Bruins. He signed a one-year contract with the Bruins on 8 August 2022.

Pavel had a fantastic first season with the Bruins in 2022–23. He often played on the top line with star players like Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. He had his best season ever, scoring more goals, assists, and points than before. On 14 January 2023, the Bruins signed him to a new four-year contract. He played in all 82 games that season, scoring 21 goals and 36 assists for a total of 57 points. He also had 6 assists in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.

In the 2023–24 season, Zacha took on a bigger role as one of the Bruins' top centers. He had a great stretch in March 2024, scoring 5 goals and 2 assists in just four games. Because of this, he was named the NHL Second Star of the Week. He tied his previous season's goal total with 21 goals and set a new career high with 38 assists, giving him 59 points.

For the 2024–25 season, Zacha moved back to playing wing on the top line with new teammate Elias Lindholm and David Pastrňák. While he started strong, the Bruins faced some challenges. Zacha finished the season with 14 goals and 33 assists.

Representing His Country

Pavel Zacha has proudly represented the Czech Republic in several international hockey tournaments.

Medal record
Representing  Czech Republic
Ice hockey
World Championships
Gold	2024 Czech Republic
World U18 Championships
Silver	2014 Finland
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
Bronze	2013 Slovakia/Czech Republic

After the Bruins' playoff run in 2024, Zacha joined the Czech Republic team for the 2024 IIHF World Championship. This was his first time playing for his country in ten years. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against the United States in the quarterfinals. He then helped the Czech team win the gold medal!

On 16 June 2025, Pavel Zacha was one of the first six players chosen to represent the Czech Republic at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Awards and Honors

Pavel Zacha has received several awards during his career: