Pavel Zacha

Last updated

Pavel Zacha
Pavel Zacha - New Jersey Devils.jpg
Zacha with the New Jersey Devils in 2015
Born (1997-04-06) 6 April 1997 (age 27)
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 teamFlag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic
NHL draft 6th overall, 2015
New Jersey Devils
Playing career 2013–present

Pavel Zacha (born 6 April 1997) is a Czech professional ice hockey player for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Zacha was selected sixth overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. [1]

Contents

Playing career

Amateur

Zacha played in the 2009 and 2010 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with his minor ice hockey team from Chomutov. [2]

Zacha made his Czech Extraliga debut playing with HC Bílí Tygři Liberec during the 2013–14 Czech Extraliga season. [3]

In the 2014 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, Zacha was selected first overall by the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). [4] He joined the Sting for the 2014–15 season, recording 34 points in 37 games. Zacha followed up in his final season with the Sting by recording 64 points in 51 games. OHL coaches awarded Zacha as the best penalty-killer in the Western Conference after his 2015–16 season. [5]

In 2014, 2015, 2016 Zacha competed in the IIHF World Junior Championship with the Czech Republic. [5]

Professional

New Jersey Devils

Zacha was ranked eighth for North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. [6] He was selected sixth overall by the New Jersey Devils. On 11 August 2015, the Devils signed Zacha to a three-year, entry-level contract. [7] He returned to the Sting for the 2015–16 season. Soon after the Sting season ended, Zacha joined the Devils. He made his NHL debut on 9 April 2016, recording two assists in a 5–1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. [8]

Zacha made the Devils' lineup for the 2016–17 season. He scored his first NHL goal on 3 November 2016 in a 4–3 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers. [9] He finished the season with eight goals and 24 points in 70 games.

After going pointless in ten games to start the 2018–19 season, Zacha was assigned to the Binghamton Devils of the American Hockey League (AHL) on 2 November 2018. [10]

On 10 September 2019, Zacha signed a three-year extension with the Devils. [11]

During the 2019–20 season Zacha recorded 32 points, a personal NHL career high. [5]

Boston Bruins

On 13 July 2022, Zacha as a restricted free agent was traded by the Devils to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Erik Haula. [12] In avoiding arbitration with the Bruins, Zacha was later signed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract for the 2022–23 season on 8 August 2022. [13]

Zacha found great success in his first season in Boston, mainly playing as a wing on the first line alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Zacha had a career year, crushing his previous career highs in goals, assists, and points. On 14 January 2023, Zacha was signed to a four-year contract extension by the Bruins. [14] Zacha would play in all 82 games for the Bruins, scoring 21 goals and 36 assists for 57 points. He would also register six assists in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, playing in all seven games of the Bruins first round loss against the Florida Panthers.

Following the news of David Krejčí and Bergeron's respective retirements in the summer of 2023, Zacha was expected to take a step up and serve as one of the Bruins top centers, after serving mostly as a winger the previous year. [15] With big shoes to fill, Zacha stepped up and delivered yet another successful season for the Bruins, shifting around the lineup in a center role. [16] After a four game stretch where he scored five goals and two assists, Zacha was named the NHL Second Star of the Week in mid-March. [17] Zacha tied his previous season total with 21 goals, but added 38 assists—two more than the previous season—to set a career high in assists and points for the second consecutive season.

International play

Medal record
Representing Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic
Ice hockey
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2024 Czech Republic
World U18 Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2014 Finland
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2013 Slovakia/Czech Republic

After the Bruins elimination in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Zacha went to represent the Czech Republic in the 2024 IIHF World Championship, his first time representing his country in ten years. Zacha would score the lone goal in a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over the United States, and would eventually help the Czechs to a gold medal.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

   Regular season   Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2011–12 Bílí Tygři Liberec CZE U18361015252072356
2011–12Bílí Tygři LiberecCZE U2010000—————
2012–13Bílí Tygři LiberecCZE U18667134110110
2012–13Bílí Tygři LiberecCZE U20391426402652240
2012–13 HC Benátky nad Jizerou Czech.1 —————10000
2013–14Bílí Tygři LiberecCZE U2010611176431124
2013–14 Bílí Tygři Liberec ELH 3844810—————
2013–14 HC Benátky nad JizerouCzech.1124596—————
2014–15 Sarnia Sting OHL 3716183456521310
2015–16 Sarnia StingOHL51283664977671316
2015–16 New Jersey Devils NHL 10220—————
2015–16 Albany Devils AHL 3123251232
2016–17 New Jersey DevilsNHL708162419—————
2017–18 New Jersey DevilsNHL69817253050006
2018–19 New Jersey DevilsNHL6113122515—————
2018–19 Binghamton Devils AHL40552—————
2019–20 New Jersey DevilsNHL658243214—————
2020–21 New Jersey DevilsNHL5017183510—————
2021–22 New Jersey DevilsNHL7015213622—————
2022–23 Boston Bruins NHL822136571670662
2023–24 Boston BruinsNHL7821385918131564
NHL totals546111184295144251111212

International

YearTeamEventResult GPGAPtsPIM
2013 Czech Republic U18 7th50332
2013 Czech Republic IH18 Bronze medal icon.svg41234
2014 Czech Republic WJC 6th50000
2014 Czech RepublicU18Silver medal icon.svg73254
2015 Czech RepublicWJC6th51120
2015 Czech RepublicU186th550510
2016 Czech RepublicWJC5th30110
2024 Czechia WC Gold medal icon.svg41010
Junior totals341091920
Senior totals41010

Awards and honors

AwardYear
OHL
OHL First All-Rookie Team 2015 [18]
International
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament Bronze Medal 2013
IIHF World U18 Championship Silver Medal 2014
IIHF World U18 Championship Top 3 Player on Team 2015
IIHF World Championship Gold Medal 2024
Boston Bruins
Seventh Player Award 2023

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References

  1. ↑ "Devils select Pavel Zacha sixth overall". New Jersey Devils . 29 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  3. ↑ "2013-14 Bili Tygri Liberec player statistics". Eliteprospects.com. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Sting choose Zacha 1st overall in import draft". National Hockey League. 2 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "Pavel Zacha Stats and News". NHL.com. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "2015 Draft Prospect Rankings". NHL.com. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Devils sign forward Pavel Zacha". New Jersey Devils. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  8. ↑ Canavan, Tom (9 April 2016). "Devils beat Leafs 5-1 in season finale". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  9. ↑ Poupart, Alain (4 November 2016). "Vincent Trocheck gives Panthers win in overtime". NHL.com. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  10. ↑ Ryan, Chris. "Devils assign Pavel Zacha to AHL | What shocking move means". NJ.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  11. ↑ "RELEASE: Devils Re-Sign Center Pavel Zacha". NHL.com. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  12. ↑ "Boston Bruins Acquire Pavel Zacha From Devils In Exchange For Erik Haula". NHL.com. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  13. ↑ "Bruins sign Pavel Zacha to one-year contract". Boston Bruins. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "Bruins Sign Pavel Zacha to Four-Year Contract Extension". NHL.com. 14 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Pavel Zacha's veteran status leading to bigger role in 2023-24". Causeway Crowd. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  16. ↑ "Zacha thriving at center for Bruins after retirements of Bergeron, Krejci | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. 31 March 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  17. ↑ "Pavel Zacha Named NHL Second Star of the Week | Boston Bruins". www.nhl.com. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  18. ↑ "Pavel Zacha at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by New Jersey Devils first round draft pick
2015 		Succeeded by
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