Peter Zezel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Zezel
Zezel in 1992
Born	(1965-04-22)April 22, 1965 Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Died	May 26, 2009(2009-05-26) (aged 44) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Philadelphia Flyers Washington Capitals St. Louis Blues Toronto Maple Leafs Dallas Stars New Jersey Devils Vancouver Canucks
NHL Draft	41st overall, 1983 Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	1984–1999

Peter Zezel (April 22, 1965 – May 26, 2009) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played as a centre for 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1984 to 1999. He was known for his strong defensive play and excellent faceoff skills.

Early Life and Family

Peter Zezel was born and grew up in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. He went to Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute. His father, Peter Zezel Sr., moved to Canada from Croatia in 1947. When his father arrived, he changed the family name to Zezel.

Hockey Career Highlights

Peter Zezel was chosen by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 41st player picked overall. He started his NHL career as a skilled offensive player. He scored many points in his first eight seasons. Later in his career, he became known as a defensive specialist. He was very good at winning faceoffs.

Joining the Flyers

Zezel joined the Flyers in the 1984–85 when he was 19. He quickly made a big impact. He was fifth in rookie scoring with 61 points. He also set a team record with 46 assists for a rookie. The Flyers were a young team that year. They surprised everyone by reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. They lost to the Edmonton Oilers.

The Flyers' coach, Mike Keenan, was a big influence on Zezel. Keenan would later bring Zezel to other teams. While Zezel played in Philadelphia, his family hosted another young hockey player, Wendel Clark. Clark stayed in Zezel's room during the hockey season.

Best Seasons and Trades

After a good second year, Zezel had his best season in 1986–87. He scored 33 goals and 72 points. He also helped the Flyers reach the Stanley Cup Finals again. They were again defeated by the Oilers.

In 1988–89, the Flyers traded Zezel to the St. Louis Blues. He played some of his best hockey there. He had a career-high 49 assists and 70 points that season. In the playoffs, he led the Blues with 6 goals and 12 points. In 1989–90, he had another strong season with 25 goals and 72 points.

In 1990, Zezel was traded to the Washington Capitals. His time there was short. He played only 20 games before being traded to his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. He finished the 1990–91 season with 40 points. He also had 49 points in 64 games in 1991–92. These years were affected by injuries.

Later Career and Retirement

In 1992, Pat Burns became the Maple Leafs' coach. This changed Zezel's role. He was used more as a defensive player, and his scoring numbers went down. He also had ongoing back problems. In October 1993, he had an accident during warm-ups. He hurt his lower back and was in a lot of pain.

Despite injuries, he was still a good player. He helped Toronto reach the Western Conference Finals in both 1993 and 1994. He even scored an overtime winning goal in 1994.

In 1994, Zezel joined the Dallas Stars. He played only 30 games due to a knee injury. In 1995–96, he signed with the St. Louis Blues again, reuniting with coach Keenan.

He was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 1997. In 1997–98, he played in the minor leagues for the first time. He did well there, with 50 points in 35 games. Keenan, now coaching the Vancouver Canucks, had Zezel join the Canucks in 1998. Zezel scored 17 points in 25 games for Vancouver.

Zezel's hockey career ended suddenly in 1998–99. His niece in Toronto was very sick with a serious illness. He asked for a trade to an Eastern Conference team to be closer to his family. Instead, he was traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, which was far from Toronto. Zezel decided to retire from the NHL and go home. The Canucks' general manager, Brian Burke, bought out Zezel's contract. Burke also made a donation to a charity for seriously ill children.

Peter Zezel played 873 NHL games in his career. He scored 219 goals and made 389 assists, for a total of 608 points.

Soccer Career

Peter Zezel was also a talented soccer player when he was young. Even though he chose hockey, he kept playing soccer during the off-season. He was drafted by the Toronto Blizzard of the North American Soccer League. He played in three exhibition games for them in 1982. He also played for Toronto Italia in 1984 and the North York Rockets in 1991.

In 2010, the Soccer Hall of Fame & Museum gave Zezel the first Brian Budd Award. His father, Peter Sr., was also a skilled soccer player. Zezel's soccer skills helped him in hockey. He was strong along the boards and one of the best at face-offs. He even played for the Canadian national under-20 soccer team in 1982.

Personal Life

Peter Zezel appeared in the 1986 film Youngblood, using his hockey skills. After retiring from hockey, he coached minor hockey teams in Toronto. He also ran a sports camp in Markham, Ontario. This camp helped young players improve their hockey and soccer skills while having fun.

Death and Legacy

In 2001, Peter Zezel became very ill with a rare blood disorder called hemolytic anemia. He recovered at that time. But in 2009, his condition worsened. He received medical treatment, including surgery.

After his surgery, Zezel had severe headaches. Doctors found bleeding in his brain. He became very ill and was put on life support. Peter Zezel had wanted to donate his organs. His family made a difficult decision, respecting his wish to donate his organs to help others. He passed away on May 26, 2009. His funeral was held at the All Serbian Saints Serbian Orthodox Church in Mississauga. He was buried in Pine Hills Cemetery in Scarborough.

In July 2014, a street in Scarborough was named Zezel Way. This was done to honor Peter Zezel and his contributions.

Career Statistics