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]
| Pavel Zacha | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Zacha with the New Jersey Devils in 2015 | |||
| Born |
6 April 1997 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 team |
 Czech Republic | ||
| NHL draft |
6th overall, 2015 New Jersey Devils | ||
| Playing career | 2013–present | ||
Playing career
editAmateur
editZacha 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
editNew Jersey Devils
editZacha 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
editOn 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 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] Zacha played centre up and down the line-up in the 2023-2024 season.[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
edit| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Czech Republic
| ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
 |
2024 Czech Republic | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
 |
2014 Finland | |
| Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament | ||
 |
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
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2011–12 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | CZE U18 | 36 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 2011–12 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | CZE U20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | CZE U18 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 2012–13 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | CZE U20 | 39 | 14 | 26 | 40 | 26 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | HC Benátky nad Jizerou | Czech.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | CZE U20 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 64 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2013–14 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 38 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | HC Benátky nad Jizerou | Czech.1 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Sarnia Sting | OHL | 37 | 16 | 18 | 34 | 56 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 2015–16 | Sarnia Sting | OHL | 51 | 28 | 36 | 64 | 97 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 16 | ||
| 2015–16 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Albany Devils | AHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 70 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 69 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2018–19 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 61 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Binghamton Devils | AHL | 4 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 65 | 8 | 24 | 32 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 50 | 17 | 18 | 35 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 70 | 15 | 21 | 36 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 82 | 21 | 36 | 57 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 78 | 21 | 38 | 59 | 18 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 546 | 111 | 184 | 295 | 144 | 25 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 12 | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Czech Republic | U18 | 7th | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2013 | Czech Republic | IH18 | 
|
4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2014 | Czech Republic | WJC | 6th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Czech Republic | U18 | 
|
7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2015 | Czech Republic | WJC | 6th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015 | Czech Republic | U18 | 6th | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 10 | |
| 2016 | Czech Republic | WJC | 5th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | Czechia | WC | 
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 34 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 20 | ||||
| Senior totals | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Awards and honors
edit| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
References
edit- ^ "Devils select Pavel Zacha sixth overall". New Jersey Devils. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "2013-14 Bili Tygri Liberec player statistics". Eliteprospects.com. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ^ "Sting choose Zacha 1st overall in import draft". National Hockey League. 2 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ a b c "Pavel Zacha Stats and News". NHL.com. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "2015 Draft Prospect Rankings". NHL.com. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- ^ "Devils sign forward Pavel Zacha". New Jersey Devils. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ Canavan, Tom (9 April 2016). "Devils beat Leafs 5-1 in season finale". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Poupart, Alain (4 November 2016). "Vincent Trocheck gives Panthers win in overtime". NHL.com. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Ryan, Chris. "Devils assign Pavel Zacha to AHL | What shocking move means". NJ.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ "RELEASE: Devils Re-Sign Center Pavel Zacha". NHL.com. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ "Boston Bruins Acquire Pavel Zacha From Devils In Exchange For Erik Haula". NHL.com. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ "Bruins sign Pavel Zacha to one-year contract". Boston Bruins. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Bruins Sign Pavel Zacha to Four-Year Contract Extension". NHL.com. 14 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ "Pavel Zacha's veteran status leading to bigger role in 2023-24". Causeway Crowd. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "Zacha thriving at center for Bruins after retirements of Bergeron, Krejci | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. 31 March 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "Pavel Zacha Named NHL Second Star of the Week | Boston Bruins". www.nhl.com. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "Pavel Zacha at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database