Peter Zezel

Infobox Ice Hockey Player

---

image_size = 200px
position = Centre
played_for = Philadelphia Flyers
Washington Capitals
St. Louis Blues
Toronto Maple Leafs
Dallas Stars
New Jersey Devils
Vancouver Canucks
nickname =
shot = Left
height_ft = 5
height_in = 11
weight_lb = 200
nationality = CAN
birth_date = Birth date and age|1965|4|22
birth_place = Toronto, ON, CAN
draft = 41st overall
draft_year = 1983
draft_team = Philadelphia Flyers
career_start = 1984
career_end = 1999

Peter Zezel (Serbian: Latin: Petar Žeželj, Cyrillic: Петар Жежељ) (born April 22, 1965 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey centre who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1984 and 1999.

Playing career

Standing 5'11" and a solid 200 pounds, Zezel was selected 41st overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. While he would break into the NHL as a skilled offensive player and put up impressive scoring numbers in his first 8 seasons, he would spend the second half of his career primarily as a defensive specialist noted for his strong faceoff skills.

Zezel broke into the Flyers' lineup in the 1984–85 at the age of just 19 and made an instant impact, finishing 5th in rookie scoring with 61 points and setting a team record for assists by a rookie (since broken) with 46. He was part of an exceptionally young Flyer team - with 8 regulars under the age of 22, and only Mark Howe over the age of 27 - which surprised the hockey world by reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, where they were finally beaten out by the Edmonton Oilers. The Flyers' head coach at the time was Mike Keenan, who would become one of Zezel's biggest influences, and who would re-acquire Zezel several times later in their careers.

After a 54-point sophomore campaign, Zezel would have his finest year in 1986–87, registering career highs of 33 goals and 72 points (despite missing 9 games to injury) while continuing to impress with his mature all-around game. That spring, he would again help the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals, registering 13 points before the team was again bested by the Oilers.

Although he continued to put up solid numbers, the Flyers would deal Zezel to the St. Louis Blues midway through the 1988–89 in exchange for Mike Bullard. He would play some of the best hockey of his career for the Blues, going on a scoring tear to finish the season with a career high 49 assists and 70 points. In the playoffs that year, he would lead the Blues with 6 goals and 12 points in just 10 games. In 1989–90, he would have another fine season, posting 25 goals and 72 points.

However, in 1990 St. Louis dealt him to the Washington Capitals for Geoff Courtnall. His stay in Washington would be brief, though, as he appeared in only 20 games before being dealt to his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in a deal for Al Iafrate. He would finish the 1990–91 season with 40 points in just 52 games due to injury. In 1991–92, he recorded 49 points in 64 games in another year hamped by the injury bug.

The hiring of Pat Burns as the Maple Leafs' head coach in 1992 would represent a turning point in Zezel's career. While he has previously always been given a great deal of offensive responsibility, the defensive-minded Burns employed Zezel almost exclusively as a checking line center, and his numbers plummeted. Additionally, he continued to be plagued by injuries, missing half the 1993–94 season with an ongoing back problems that had bothered him for several years. However, when healthy he was still an effective player, and helped Toronto reach the Western Conference Finals in both 1993 and 1994.

In the summer of 1994, Zezel was awarded to the Dallas Stars as compensation for the Leafs' signing of free agent Mike Craig. His one season in Dallas would prove to be a disappointment, as he was limited to just 30 games and 11 points by a knee injury. For 1995–96, he was signed for another stint by the St. Louis Blues and his old coach Mike Keenan.

Dealt to the New Jersey Devils in 1997, his career would hit a low point during the 1997–98 campaign when he was sent to the minors for the first time in his career. However, he performed well in the AHL, showing that he still had a scoring touch with 50 points in 35 games for the Albany River Rats. He was rescued from the minors by Keenan, now the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. For the first time in several years, he was given a chance to contribute offensively alongside star winger Alexander Mogilny, and he responded with 17 points in 25 games.

Zezel's career would end controversially at the trade deadline late in the 1998–99 season. Zezel's niece Jilliann was terminally ill with cancer in Toronto, and Zezel requested a trade from the Canucks (who were far out of the playoff race) to an Eastern Conference team so he could be closer to his family. Instead, Vancouver General Manager Brian Burke dealt him to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the furthest stop from Toronto in the league. Zezel promptly retired and returned home, and Canuck management were heavily criticised by a sympathetic media and public for the callous way he was treated.

Off-ice

occer

Zezel was a top soccer player in his youth, and played for Canada's U-21 team as a teenager. During offseasons early in his career he also briefly played for the Toronto Blizzard of the old NASL and the North York Rockets in the CSL.

Illness

In 2001, Zezel was almost killed by the rare blood disorder hemolytic anemia, but has made a full recovery. Currently he conducts hockey and soccer camps for youth, and coaches minor hockey.

Acting

Zezel also had a small role in the 1986 film "Youngblood".

External links

*hockeydb|5859
* [http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1983/83041.html Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com]
*imdb name|955271
* [http://www.peterzezel.com Official website for the Peter Zezel hockey & sports camp]