Jason Zucker

Jason Zucker
Zucker with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2020
Born	(1992-01-16) January 16, 1992 (age 32) Newport Beach, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Buffalo Sabres Minnesota Wild Pittsburgh Penguins Arizona Coyotes Nashville Predators
NHL draft	59th overall, 2010 Minnesota Wild
Playing career	2012–present

Jason Alan Zucker ^[1] (born January 16, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey left winger for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Zucker played in the 2010 World Juniors for the United States team, winning a gold medal. He was also a member of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2011 World Juniors. Playing for the University of Denver in 2010–11, he was the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie of the Year. He was drafted in the second round (59th overall) of the 2010 NHL entry draft by the Minnesota Wild.

Early life

Zucker was born in Newport Beach, California, and is Jewish. ^{[2] [3]} His mother, Natalie Zucker, is a former competitive figure skater, and his father, Scott Zucker, is a general contractor who built ice rinks and roller rinks when Jason was young. ^[4] He has two older brothers, Evan and Adam, and a younger sister, Kimmie, and brother, Cameron. ^{[5] [6]}

When he was two months old, Zucker and his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. ^[7] As a youth, he played in the 2004 and 2005 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Los Angeles. ^[8] He moved to Plymouth, Michigan, when he was 15 so he could play with the Compuware AAA Minor Midget Team, and finally to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for two years. ^[9] Zucker attended Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ^[10]

Zucker has multiple tattoos: on his back, "USA" (a nod to his playing for the national team); on his chest, "Game Time" (in memory of his best friend, Nick Scheafer, who died in 2010 at the age of 19 in a car accident); and on his left arm, written in Hebrew, "In pursuit of perfection" (in honor of his Jewish heritage). In 2016, he got a young cancer patient's name, Tucker, who he met at Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night, tattooed onto his wrist, along with the words "shoot more" in memory of the boy who died on July 2, 2016. ^[11]

Playing career

College career

Playing for the University of Denver in 2010–11, he was the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Rookie of the Year, and was also named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and 2nd All-Star Team. ^[12] In his two seasons playing for Denver, he had 45 goals and 91 points in 78 games. He turned pro following the 2011–12 season. ^[3]

Professional career

Minnesota Wild

Zucker was drafted by the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the second round (59th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. He was the first Nevada-raised draft pick (and, subsequently, player) in NHL history. ^[13] Zucker signed his entry-level contract with the Wild on March 27, 2012. ^[14] He made his NHL debut in a victory against the Florida Panthers on March 29, 2012. ^[15] The 2012–13 NHL season was delayed by the 2012–13 NHL lockout and Zucker was assigned to Minnesota's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Houston Aeros, where he registered 50 points in 55 games. ^[16] He played in the 2013 AHL All-Star Classic, representing the Aeros. ^[17] Zucker was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team after leading the Aeros in scoring with 24 goals. ^[18]

Zucker at the 2013 AHL All-Star Game

Zucker was recalled by Minnesota ^[18] and appeared in 20 regular season games with Minnesota, playing mostly on the team's second line alongside Matt Cullen and Devin Setoguchi. ^[19] He scored his first NHL goal against Petr Mrázek on February 17, 2013, in a Wild win over the Detroit Red Wings. ^[20] On May 5, 2013, Zucker scored at 2:15 of the extra period to give the Wild a 3–2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, to pull within 2–1 in the Western Conference quarterfinal series. ^[21] However, the Blackhawks eliminated the Wild in five games. ^[22]

On March 26, 2014, Zucker underwent successful surgery on his left quadriceps to repair a tendon. He missed the remainder of the 2013–14 season, but was ready for the start of the 2014–15 campaign. ^[23] In 2014–15 he scored 21 goals in 51 games, and was tenth in the NHL with a 16.9% shooting percentage. On October 25, 2015, he set a Wild team record by scoring 10 seconds into a 5–4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets (Zucker later tied his own record in a game against the Colorado Avalanche in April 2017). ^[24] The only other NHL players who have scored within the first 10 seconds of two different games are Montreal's Bobby Rousseau (once in 1962–63, and once in 1965–66) and Yvan Cournoyer (both in 1973–74).^{[ citation needed ]}

In 2015–16 he played in a career-high 71 games, and had 13 goals and 10 assists. In June 2016, the Wild re-signed him to a two-year, $4 million contract. ^[25] During the 2016–17 season, Zucker set new career highs once again by playing in 79 games while recording 22 goals and 25 assists for 47 points. He finished tied for sixth in team scoring.^{[ citation needed ]} Zucker recorded his first NHL hat-trick on November 9, 2017, against the Montreal Canadiens. ^[26] On May 2, 2018, Zucker was named a finalist for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, along with P. K. Subban, and the Sedin brothers. ^[27]

Zucker at practice in January 2019

On July 25, 2018, Zucker signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract extension with the Wild. Zucker scored his 100th NHL goal on October 13, 2018, in a home overtime loss against the Carolina Hurricanes. ^[28] He is the seventh Minnesota Wild player to record 100 goals with the team. ^[29] Zucker received the 2018–19 King Clancy Memorial Trophy as "the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community." ^[30]

In his career with the Wild, in 456 NHL games he had 132 goals (fourth on the Wild's all-time list), 111 assists, and 243 points (9th). ^[30]

Pittsburgh Penguins

On February 10, 2020, Zucker was traded by the Wild to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Calen Addison, Alex Galchenyuk, and a conditional first round pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft (condition within the trade later converted the pick to a first round pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft). ^[31] Zucker was under contract with the Penguins for three years, through the 2022–23 season, for an average annual value of $5.5 million. ^{[30] [32]} He made his Penguins debut on February 11 in a 2–1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, playing on a line with Sidney Crosby. ^[33] He scored his first two goals in a Penguins uniform against Carey Price in a 4–1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on February 14. ^[34] Zucker later made his Penguins playoff debut against the Canadiens on August 1 in Game 1 of their first round series. ^[35] He scored in a Game 2 win for the Penguins to tie the series, ^[36] but the Canadiens eliminated the Penguins to move on to the next round. ^[37]

In the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season, Zucker struggled, scoring eight goals and 17 points. ^[38] In the 2021–22 season, Zucker suffered a number of injuries that limited him to just 32 games before coming back in March. In his first game back, and his first game against his former team, the Minnesota Wild, Zucker was injured again. ^[39] He finished the season having played just 41 games. ^[38] During the 2022–23 season, Zucker appeared in 78 games, the most since the 2018–19 season. Playing mostly on the second line, Zucker scored 27 goals and 48 points. ^[40]

Arizona Coyotes

Having concluded his contract with the Penguins, Zucker was signed as a free agent to a one-year, $5.3 million contract with the Arizona Coyotes on July 1, 2023. ^{[41] [42]} He made his Coyotes debut in the season-opening shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils. ^{[43] [44]} He scored his first goal with Arizona on October 19 on a pass from Matias Maccelli on the power play in a 6–2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. ^[45] On January 2, 2024, Nick Cousins of the Florida Panthers laid a dangerous check on Zucker's teammate, Juuso Välimäki near the boards. Zucker retaliated by checking Cousins hard into the boards, giving Cousins a concussion. ^[46] On the play, Zucker received three major penalties and was suspended for three games on January 3 for boarding. ^[47] In 51 games with Arizona, he had nine goals and 25 points. ^[48]

Nashville Predators

On March 8, 2024, at the NHL trading deadline, Zucker was traded to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round draft pick. ^{[49] [50]} He made his Predators debut on March 9 in a 2–1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. ^[51] He scored his first goal for Nashville on March 13, knocking in a rebound from a Colton Sissons shot in a 4–2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. ^[52] He registered a multi-goal game on March 28, scoring twice against his former team, the Arizona Coyotes, in an 8–4 loss. ^[53] In 18 games with the Predators, he recorded five goals and seven points. ^[54] Nashville made the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs and faced the Vancouver Canucks in the first round. ^[55] The Predators were eliminated in six games and Zucker scored one goal and three points in the series. ^[54]

Buffalo Sabres

On July 1, 2024, Zucker signed as a free agent to a one-year, $5 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres. ^[56]

International play

Medal record
Representing   United States
Ice hockey
IIHF World U18 Championship
	2009 United States
	2010 Belarus
World Junior Hockey Championships
	2010 Canada
	2011 United States

Zucker played for the United States junior team in the 2009 World Juniors and 2010 World Juniors, winning a gold medal in 2010. ^[57] He was also a member of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2011 World Juniors. ^[58]

Personal life

Zucker married Minneapolis-based sports and entertainment journalist and television personality Carly Aplin in mid 2016. ^{[59] [60]} She is a television host for the Minnesota Timberwolves Entertainment Network (TEN) and a reporter for CBS Sports and Fox Sports North, who in February 2018 premiered a sports talk radio show named "Overtime with Carly Zucker" on KFAN 100.3 FM. ^[61] Jason and Carly have a son and a daughter together. ^[25] They filed for divorce in 2023. ^[62]

Zucker is Jewish, though not religious. He did not have a bar mitzvah celebration because he never wanted to miss hockey; however, he does celebrate Hanukkah. ^[63]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2008–09	U.S. NTDP U17	USDP		12	8	6	14			—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	U.S. NTDP U18	USDP		12	2	6	8	8		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	U.S. NTDP U18	NAHL		36	11	4	15	55		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	U.S. NTDP Juniors	USHL		22	11	7	18	23		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	U.S. NTDP U18	USDP		38	18	17	35	24		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	University of Denver	WCHA		40	23	22	45	59		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	University of Denver	WCHA		38	22	24	46	38		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Minnesota Wild	NHL		6	0	2	2	2		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Houston Aeros	AHL		55	24	26	50	43		1	0	0	0	4
2012–13	Minnesota Wild	NHL		20	4	1	5	8		5	1	1	2	0
2013–14	Iowa Wild	AHL		22	8	5	13	55		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Minnesota Wild	NHL		21	4	1	5	2		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Minnesota Wild	NHL		51	21	5	26	18		10	2	1	3	2
2015–16	Minnesota Wild	NHL		71	13	10	23	20		6	0	2	2	2
2016–17	Minnesota Wild	NHL		79	22	25	47	30		5	1	0	1	2
2017–18	Minnesota Wild	NHL		82	33	31	64	44		5	0	0	0	0
2018–19	Minnesota Wild	NHL		81	21	21	42	28		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Minnesota Wild	NHL		45	14	15	29	19		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		15	6	6	12	2		4	2	0	2	0
2020–21	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		38	9	9	18	21		6	2	1	3	2
2021–22	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		41	8	9	17	15		5	0	2	2	2
2022–23	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		78	27	21	48	47		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	Arizona Coyotes	NHL		51	9	16	25	58		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	Nashville Predators	NHL		18	5	2	7	23		6	1	2	3	2
NHL totals				697	196	174	370	337		52	9	9	18	12

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2009	United States	U17			6	4	3	7	4
2009	United States	U18			7	1	5	6	0
2010	United States	WJC			7	2	0	2	2
2010	United States	U18			7	4	3	7	2
2011	United States	WJC			4	1	0	1	0
2012	United States	WJC	7th		6	3	4	7	2
Junior totals					37	15	15	30	10

Awards and honors

Award	Year	Ref
College
All-WCHA Rookie Team	2010–11
All-WCHA Second Team	2010–11, 2011–12
AHCA West Second-Team All-American	2011–12
WCHA All-Tournament Team	2012	[64]
AHL
All-Star Game	2013	[17]
All-Rookie Team	2013	[18]
NHL
King Clancy Memorial Trophy	2019	[65]

See also

• List of select Jewish ice hockey players

References

1. "FamilySearch: Sign In". FamilySearch .
2. "Sports Shorts". Jewish Sports Review. 8 (87): 18. September–October 2011.
3. "Zucker leaves Denver, signs deal three year deal with Wild". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
4. Russo, Michelle (February 10, 2017). "Rooted in roller hockey, Jason Zucker blooming on ice". StarTribune. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
5. Russo, Michelle (April 15, 2015). "For Wild's Zucker, perfection is the goal". StarsTribune. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
6. Chambers, Mike (November 15, 2010). "DU's Zucker a real American prodigy". Denver Post. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
7. Satkowiak, Ryan (January 16, 1992). "From Sin City To The Twin Cities, Jason Zucker Is Living His NHL Dream". USA Hockey Magazine. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
8. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
9. Andresen, Glen (July 19, 2010). "Family Man...Er...Kid". NHL.com. Minnesota Wild. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
10. "Jason Zucker – Denver Pioneers Official Athletics Site". Denverpioneers.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
11. Pierce, Jessi (November 15, 2016). "Words will last lifetime for Jason Zucker". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
12. "Jason Zucker". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
13. Myers, Dan (June 27, 2017). "Son of the Sand: Zucker Talks Hockey in the Desert". Minnesota Wild. Retrieved December 4, 2017– via NHL.com.
14. "Wild sign prospect Jason Zucker". ESPN. Associated Press. March 28, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
15. "Wild: Zucker to get head start on NHL career". Grand Forks Herald. March 28, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
16. Satkowiak, Ryan (March 2014). "From Sin City To The Twin Cities, Jason Zucker Is Living His NHL Dream". USA Hockey Magazine. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
17. Russo, Michael (February 17, 2013). "Zucker will finally hit ice at Xcel". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
18. Graff, Chad (April 11, 2013). "Minnesota Wild recall Jason Zucker from Houston". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
19. Brothers, Bruce (February 28, 2013). "Minnesota Wild: Devin Setoguchi, Jason Zucker contributed — then sat". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
20. "2–17–13 Zucker Coast to Coast Video – NHL VideoCenter – Minnesota Wild". NHL.com. February 17, 2013. Archived from the original on March 26, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
21. "Zucker's OT goal gives Wild 4-3 comeback win vs. Blackhawks". USA Today. Associated Press. October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
22. "Marian Hossa scores twice as Blackhawks eliminate Wild". USA Today. Associated Press. May 10, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
23. "Backstrom, Zucker Undergo Successful Surgeries". Minnesota Wild. March 26, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014– via NHL.com.
24. "Zucker sets Wild mark for fastest goal, Jets' Little scores goal with head". Sports Illustrated. October 25, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
25. Mizutani, Dan (February 21, 2018). "What's been Jason Zucker's secret to success? His son, Hendrix". Pioneer Press. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
26. Myers, Dan (November 10, 2017). "Postgame Hat Trick: Wild 3, Canadiens 0". Minnesota Wild. Retrieved November 10, 2017– via NHL.com.
27. "King Clancy Trophy finalists unveiled". National Hockey League. May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
28. Pierce, Jessi (October 13, 2018). "Aho, Hurricanes rally past Wild in OT". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
29. Minnesota Wild PR [@mnwildPR] (October 13, 2018). ".@Jason_Zucker16 gives the #mnwild a 3-2 lead with his third goal of the season and 100th career NHL tally, 5:41 into the third period" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
30. "Penguins Acquire Forward Jason Zucker from the Minnesota Wild". Pittsburgh Penguins. February 10, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2023– via NHL.com.
31. "Penguins acquire forward Jason Zucker from the Minnesota Wild". Pittsburgh Penguins. February 10, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
32. Tabachnick, Toby (February 20, 2020). "Jewish hockey player joins Penguins". Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
33. Rossi, Rob (February 12, 2020). "Jason Zucker made no excuses after his debut. That will earn him points with the Penguins" . The Athletic. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
34. "Zucker's two goals help Penguins beat Canadiens 4-1". ESPN. Associated Press. February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
35. Hickey, Pat (August 2, 2020). "Canadiens had the matchups they wanted in Game 1 win over Penguins". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
36. "Crosby, Zucker lead Penguins past Canadiens to tie series". Sportsnet. The Canadian Press. August 3, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
37. O'Brien, James (August 7, 2020). "Canadiens advance in Game 4 as Penguins end season with a whimper". NBC Sports. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
38. Brlansky, Nicholas (June 9, 2022). "Jason Zucker Running Out of Chances with the Penguins". The Hockey News. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
39. "Penguins' Jason Zucker suffers injury in first game since January". Sportsnet. March 31, 2022. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
40. Rorabaugh, Seth (April 24, 2023). "Jason Zucker wants to remain with the Penguins". TribLive. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
41. "Coyotes sign Zucker to one-year contract". Arizona Coyotes. July 1, 2023. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023– via NHL.com.
42. Marshall, John (July 1, 2023). "Coyotes sign Zucker, bring back 3 players to kick off free agency". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
43. "Bjugstad and Schmaltz score in shootout as Coyotes beat Devils 4-3". ESPN. Associated Press. October 13, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
44. "Arizona Coyotes 4 – 3 New Jersey Devils". National Hockey League. October 13, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
45. "Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz power the Coyotes to 6-2 win over the Blues". ESPN. Associated Press. October 19, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
46. Daugherty, Alex (March 21, 2024). "Here's why Nashville Predators' Jason Zucker 'answered the bell' vs Florida's Nick Cousins". The Tennessean. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
47. "Coyotes' Zucker suspended three games for boarding Panthers' Cousins". Sportsnet. January 3, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
48. Glennon, John (March 8, 2024). "Predators acquire veteran forward Jason Zucker from Arizona". Nashville Post. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
49. "Predators Acquire Jason Zucker from Arizona". Nashville Predators. March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024– via NHL.com.
50. "Predators add Zucker; flip Gurianov to Flyers". TSN . March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
51. Merz, Craig (March 9, 2024). "Predators edge Blue Jackets, push point streak to 11". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
52. "Predators extend points streak to 13 games with a 4-2 win over the Jets". ESPN. Associated Press. March 13, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
53. "Logan Cooley has 1st NHL hat trick, Coyotes stop Predators' points streak at 18 with 8-4 win". ESPN. Associated Press. March 29, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
54. Lysowski, Lance (September 30, 2024). "Sabres' Jason Zucker motivated to produce after difficult year: 'I want to be scoring'" . The Buffalo News. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
55. Johnston, Patrick (April 17, 2024). "It's official: It'll be Canucks vs Predators in the first round of the NHL playoffs". The Province. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
56. "Sabres sign Zucker to 1-year contract". Buffalo Sabres. July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
57. "2010 NHL Draft Prospect: Jason Zucker". May 11, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
58. "Player Statistics by Team – USA" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
59. Eccher, Marino (July 31, 2016). "Carly Aplin and Wild's Jason Zucker get married". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
60. Eccher, Marino (February 18, 2016). "Wild's Jason Zucker and Carly Aplin share 'steamy' engagement photos". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
61. "'Overtime with Carly Zucker' debuts, KFAN's first woman-led sports talk show in a decade". FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. February 8, 2018.
62. Bornhoft, William (August 15, 2024). "Ex-MN Wild Star Jason Zucker Sells Linden Hills Home for $3.4M". Patch. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
63. "Who The Folk?! Jason Zucker". TCJewFolk. April 18, 2016.
64. "WCHA Tourney History". WCHA. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
65. "Zucker of Wild wins King Clancy Trophy for leadership on, off ice". National Hockey League. June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Hockey-Reference.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Danny Kristo	WCHA Rookie of the Year 2010–11	Succeeded by Joey LaLeggia
Preceded by Henrik Sedin / Daniel Sedin	King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner 2019	Succeeded by Matt Dumba