Kelly Zajac
Kelly Zajac | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 6, 1988 Canada |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey player (retired) |
| Years active | 2011–2018 |
| Known for | Playing in the AHL for Albany Devils, Manitoba Moose, Hershey Bears; playing in Liiga for Lukko; playing in ECHL for South Carolina Stingrays |
Kelly Zajac (born June 6, 1988) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey athlete. He played collegiate hockey with the Union Dutchmen in NCAA Division I ECAC Hockey and later competed in the American Hockey League (AHL) representing the Albany Devils, Manitoba Moose, and Hershey Bears.
Playing career
Following his tenure at Union College, Zajac entered the professional ranks by signing as an undrafted free agent with the Albany Devils of the AHL in 2011. In August 2015, he departed from Albany to accept a one-year deal with Lukko of Finland’s Liiga, initially joining on a two-month trial basis. After three months overseas, Zajac returned to North America, securing a contract with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL. His stint with Manitoba concluded in February 2016, leading to his acquisition by the South Carolina Stingrays.
Though initially intending to rejoin Tingsryds AIF in Europe for a second season, Zajac chose to stay stateside after completing the 2015–16 ECHL campaign. Subsequently, he inked a two-way agreement with both the Hershey Bears and South Carolina Stingrays for the 2016–17 season, establishing himself as a pivotal forward within the ECHL.
Personal life
Kelly is the younger sibling of professional hockey players Travis and Darcy Zajac. Their youngest brother, Nolan, competed at the NCAA level with the Denver Pioneers. Their father, Tom, also has a history of playing for the University of Denver.
Career statistics
2015–16 AHL season Manitoba Moose AHL 14 0 1 1 2 2015–16 ECHL seasonSouth Carolina Stingrays ECHL 21 9 13 22 0 19 3 15 18 2 2016–17 ECHL season South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 59 13 39 52 14 22 6 11 17 2 2016–17 AHL seasonHershey Bears AHL 9 4 3 7 2 — — — — — 2017–18 ECHL season South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 60 20 36 56 16 4 0 0 0 0 2017–18 AHL season Hershey Bears AHL 2 0 1 1 0 — — — — —| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2006–07 | Salmon Arm Silverbacks | BCHL | 59 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 20 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | Salmon Arm Silverbacks | BCHL | 60 | 21 | 41 | 62 | 28 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | Union College | ECAC | 39 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Union College | ECAC | 39 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Union College | ECAC | 40 | 13 | 29 | 42 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Union College | ECAC | 41 | 8 | 34 | 42 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 AHL season | Albany Devils | AHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 2012–13 AHL season | Albany Devils | AHL | 14 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |||||||
| 2012–13 ECHL season | Trenton Devils | ECHL | 15 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 8 | |||||||
| 2013–14 AHL season | Albany Devils | AHL | 67 | 12 | 32 | 44 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 AHL season | Albany Devils | AHL | 24 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 18 | |||||||
| 2015–16 Liiga season
Lukko Rauma Liiga 11 2 2 4 0 | | | | | | ||||||||||||||
|
AHL totals |
133 |
21 |
49 |
70 |
26 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-ECAC Hockey Second Team | 2010–11 | |
| All-ECAC Hockey Third Team | 2011–12 | |
| ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Forward | 2011–12 | |