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 on April 6, 1997) is a talented professional ice hockey player from the Czech Republic. He currently plays for the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League (NHL), which is the top ice hockey league in North America. Pavel was chosen very early in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, being the sixth player picked overall by the New Jersey Devils.

Playing Career

Early Hockey Days

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 with his team from Chomutov. This tournament is a big deal for young hockey players!

He made his first big step into professional hockey in the Czech Extraliga, which is the highest league in the Czech Republic. He played for HC Bílí Tygři Liberec during the 2013–14 season.

In 2014, Pavel was the very first player chosen in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft by the Sarnia Sting. This team plays in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). In his first season with the Sting, he scored 34 points in 37 games. The next year, he did even better, getting 64 points in 51 games. OHL coaches even named him the best penalty-killer in his conference!

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

Joining the NHL

New Jersey Devils

Pavel was a highly-rated young player, and the New Jersey Devils picked him sixth overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. On August 11, 2015, he signed his first professional contract with the Devils.

He made his NHL debut on April 9, 2016. In that game, he helped his team win 5–1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs by getting two assists. His first NHL goal came on November 3, 2016, against the Florida Panthers. He finished his first full NHL season with 8 goals and 24 points in 70 games.

In September 2019, Pavel signed a new three-year contract with the Devils. During the 2019–20 season, he set a personal best in the NHL by scoring 32 points.

Boston Bruins

On July 13, 2022, Pavel was traded from the Devils to the Boston Bruins. He signed a one-year contract with the Bruins for the 2022–23 season.

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

After some key players retired in 2023, Pavel was expected to become one of the Bruins' main centers. He played as a center throughout the 2023-2024 season. In March, he was even named the NHL Second Star of the Week after scoring 5 goals and 2 assists in just four games. He tied his goal record with 21 goals and set a new career high in assists (38) and total points (59) for the second year in a row!

International Play

Pavel has proudly represented his home country, 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 finished their 2024 season, Pavel 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 big 1-0 quarterfinal win against the United States. He helped the Czech team win a gold medal at the tournament!

Awards and Honors