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Peter Zezel

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Peter Zezel
Born (1965-04-22) 22 April 1965 (age 61)
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Died26 May 2009(2009-05-26) (aged 44)
OccupationProfessional ice hockey centre
Years active1984–1999

Peter Zezel (April 22, 1965 – May 26, 2009) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who competed in the National Hockey League for 15 seasons, spanning from 1984 through 1999.

Early life

Born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, Zezel was the son of Peter Zezel Sr., who emigrated from Srb near Gračac, Croatia, in 1947. Upon settling in Canada, his family name was anglicized from its original form, Žeželj.

Playing career

Chosen 41st overall in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, Zezel launched his NHL tenure as a highly skilled offensive player. He recorded impressive scoring statistics during his first eight seasons before evolving into a defensive specialist recognized for his exceptional faceoff abilities.

Beginning with the Flyers in the 1984–85 season at age 19, Zezel ranked fifth among rookies in scoring with 61 points and established a team rookie record by tallying 46 assists. He played a key role on a youthful Flyers squad that advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals but ultimately fell to the Edmonton Oilers. Under the guidance of coach Mike Keenan—who would later reacquire Zezel multiple times—he experienced significant development. During this era, Zezel’s family also provided lodging for emerging player Wendel Clark.

Zezel’s peak offensive performance came in the 1986–87 season when he posted career-high totals of 33 goals and 72 points despite missing nine games. That year, he aided the Flyers in reaching the Stanley Cup Finals once more, contributing 13 points throughout the playoffs.

During the midpoint of the 1988–89 season, Zezel was traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Mike Bullard. He achieved personal bests with 49 assists and 70 points that season and led the Blues’ playoff scoring with six goals and 12 points across ten games. The subsequent season saw him score 25 goals and accumulate 72 points.

In 1990, Zezel was dealt to the Washington Capitals for Geoff Courtnall but participated in only 20 games before being traded to his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs for Al Iafrate. Injuries curtailed his output to 40 points over 52 games during the 1990–91 campaign and 49 points in 64 games during the following season.

The arrival of coach Pat Burns in Toronto resulted in Zezel adopting a defensive checking role that diminished his offensive production. Chronic back problems caused him to miss much of the 1993–94 season; nevertheless, he remained an effective contributor as Toronto advanced to the Western Conference Finals in both 1993 and 1994, including scoring an overtime winner in Game 1 of the latter year’s series.

In the summer of 1994, Zezel was assigned to the Dallas Stars as compensation after Toronto signed free agent Mike Craig. His tenure there was hampered by a knee injury that limited him to just 30 games and 11 points. He then returned to St. Louis for the 1995–96 season, reuniting with coach Keenan.

In 1997, Zezel was traded to the New Jersey Devils and spent part of that season in the minor leagues for the first time. He excelled with a strong showing of 50 points across 35 games for Albany River Rats of the AHL. In February 1998, Keenan acquired him once again for the Vancouver Canucks, where Zezel contributed offensively alongside star winger Alexander Mogilny by scoring 17 points in just 25 contests.

Zezel’s professional career concluded abruptly near the trade deadline of the 1998–99 season when he declined to report after being traded from Vancouver to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Citing personal reasons connected to his terminally ill niece, he chose retirement over relocation. The Canucks honored his contract financially and made a charitable donation on his behalf.

Throughout his NHL career, Zezel appeared in a total of 873 games, amassing 219 goals and adding 389 assists for an overall total of 608 points.

Soccer career

Zezel demonstrated considerable talent as a youth soccer athlete and participated in competitive soccer during the hockey off-season periods. Selected by the Toronto Blizzard of the NASL, he took on the striker position in three exhibition matches in 1982 but did not feature in any official NASL games. In 1984, Zezel competed in the Canadian National Soccer League representing Toronto Italia, and during the summer of 1991, he played with the North York Rockets in the Canadian Soccer League.

In May 2010, Zezel was recognized by the Soccer Hall of Fame & Museum as the first-ever recipient of the Brian Budd Award. His father, Peter Sr., was also a distinguished player for the Serbian White Eagles FC. Zezel’s formative soccer years were spent with Wexford SC.

The abilities he honed through soccer enhanced his physicality and efficiency on ice, especially in board battles and face-off situations. He attended Canada's U16 camp in 1981 and represented the nation at the under-20 level during the 1982 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament, participating in two games.

Personal life

Zezel’s hockey expertise was briefly showcased in Hollywood through a minor role in the 1986 film Youngblood. Post-retirement, he devoted time to coaching youth hockey teams in Toronto and ran a sports camp located in Markham, Ontario aimed at nurturing both hockey and soccer skills among young athletes.

He remained unmarried throughout his life and did not have children.

Death and legacy

In October 2001, Zezel faced a life-threatening episode due to hemolytic anemia, a rare blood disorder, from which he initially recovered. However, his health deteriorated in 2009, necessitating chemotherapy treatment and spleen removal surgery.

Following this operation, Zezel experienced brain hemorrhaging that led to a coma. As multiple organ failures ensued, he was placed on life support. In accordance with his wishes to donate organs, his family decided to withdraw life support. Zezel passed away on May 26, 2009; memorial services were conducted at the All Serbian Saints Serbian Orthodox Church in Mississauga.

His final resting place is Pine Hills Cemetery located in Scarborough. In tribute to his legacy, a street in Scarborough was named Zezel Way in July 2014.

Career statistics

1991–92 NHL seasonToronto Maple Leafs NHL 64 16 33 49 26 1992–93 NHL season Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 12 23 35 24 1993–94 NHL season Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 41 8 8 16 19 1994–95 IHL seasonKalamazoo WingsIHL 2 0 0 0 0 1994–95 NHL seasonDallas Stars NHL 30 6 5 11 19 3 1 0 1 0 1995–96 NHL season St. Louis Blues NHL 57 8 13 21 12 10 3 0 3 2 1996–97 NHL season St. Louis Blues NHL 35 4 9 13 12 1996–97 New Jersey Devils NHL 18 0 3 3 4 2 0 0 0 10 1997–98 AHL seasonAlbany River RatsAmerican Hockey League 35 13 37 50 18 1997–98 NHL season New Jersey Devils NHL 5 0 3 3 0 1997–98 Vancouver Canucks NHL 25 5 12 17 2 1998–99 NHL season Vancouver Canucks NHL 41 6 8 14 16 2002–03 Cambridge Hornets OHASr 8 5 4 9 0 2003–04 Cambridge Hornets OHASr 18 7 17 24 16 2004–05 Cambridge Hornets MLH 4 0 6 6 2
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1981–82 Don Mills Flyers AAA Midget 40 43 51 94 36 — — — — —
1982–83 Toronto Marlboros OHL 66 35 39 74 28 4 2 4 6 0
1983–84 Toronto Marlboros OHL 68 47 86 133 31 9 7 5 12 4
1984–85 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 65 15 46 61 26 19 1 8 9 28
1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 79 17 37 54 76 5 3 1 4 4
1986–87 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 71 33 39 72 71 25 3 10 13 10
1987–88 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 69 22 35 57 42 7 3 2 5 7
1988–89 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 26 4 13 17 15 — — — — —
1988–89 St. Louis Blues NHL 52 17 36 53 27 10 6 6 12 4
1989–90 NHL season St. Louis Blues NHL 73 25 47 72 30 12 1 7 8 4
1990–91 NHL season Washington Capitals NHL 20 7 5 12 10 — — — —
1990–91 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 32 14 14 28 4
NHL totals !873 !219 !389 !608 !435 !131 !25 !39 !64 !83 |

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External links

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