Travis Zajac
| Travis Zajac | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | May 13, 1985 Winnipeg, MB, CAN |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) |
| Position | Centre |
| Shoots | Right |
| NHL team | New Jersey Devils |
| National team |  Canada |
| NHL Draft | 20th overall, 2004 New Jersey Devils |
| Playing career | 2006–present |
Travis Zajac (/tʃeɪˈdʒæk/ chay-JAK; born May 13, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 20th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils.
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Playing career [edit]
New Jersey Devils (2006–present) [edit]
Zajac made his NHL debut on October 6, 2006, as New Jersey shutout Carolina 4–0. The next evening against the Dallas Stars he registered his first NHL goal against Marty Turco during a 3-1 loss.[1]
On April 19, 2009, Zajac scored his second career playoff goal that lifted New Jersey to a 3-2 overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes. That gave them a 2-1 series advantage, but the Devils went on to lose the quarterfinals matchup in seven games.
On July 22, 2009, Zajac signed a four-year, $15.55 million contract extension with the Devils avoiding arbitration.[2]
Throughout the 2010-11 offseason, many members of the New Jersey Devils (i.e., Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner and Martin Brodeur) have all been very optimistic when asked about their teammate Zajac. They have all noted Zajac's growth as an individual both on and off the ice. For example, amidst the Kovalchuk contract situation, Zajac understood his dilemma and echoed the words of many others by reiterating to him take your time and do what's best for your family. Zajac's work ethic, diligence, and confidence have been fine tuned throughout his entire life, yet he sets personal expectations very high for himself:
| “ | I want to be someone who can help the team generate offense every shift, every time I'm on the ice. I think I'm capable of doing that especially playing with the players we have here. I just want to be a guy you can count on to score goals and help the team offensively and defensively, as well. I think that's been the strongest part of my game, my defensive play. Hopefully, I continue to work on that. | ” |
During the second preseason game against the New York Rangers, Zajac was centering a line with Zach Parise on the left side and Ilya Kovalchuk as his right wing. According to multiple reports, Zajac is slated to be on the first line centering Kovalchuk and Parise on opening day.[3]
On March 17, 2011, Travis Zajac became the New Jersey Devils record holder for most consecutive games played, starting his 389th game against the Ottawa Senators,[citation needed] He surpassed Ken Daneyko's record of 388 consecutive starts. The streak ended on April 10, 2011 when Zajac played his 401st consecutive game.[4]
On April 24, 2012, Travis Zajac scored his 2nd career Overtime goal against the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, to force a Game 7, which the Devils also won in double Overtime.
On January 16th, 2013, Zajac re-signed with the Devils, committing to an 8 year, $46 million contract.
Personal life [edit]
Zajac's father played hockey for three years at the University of Denver. Travis's three brothers, Darcy, Kelly, and Nolan all play ice hockey as well. Darcy and Kelly both play for the Albany Devils (AHL), New Jersey's minor league affiliate. Nolan, the only defenseman among the brothers, plays for the Denver Pioneers. In 2009, Zajac married former captain of the New Hampshire University hockey team Nicole Hekle. They had their first son, Zenon Nathan Zajac, in January of 2012.
Career statistics [edit]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2002–03 | Salmon Arm Silverbacks | BCHL | 59 | 16 | 36 | 52 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Salmon Arm Silverbacks | BCHL | 59 | 43 | 69 | 112 | 110 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 10 | ||
| 2004–05 | North Dakota Fighting Sioux | WCHA | 43 | 17 | 19 | 36 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | North Dakota Fighting Sioux | WCHA | 45 | 17 | 27 | 44 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 80 | 17 | 25 | 42 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 20 | 42 | 62 | 29 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2009–10 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 25 | 42 | 67 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 13 | 31 | 44 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 15 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 48 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 471 | 98 | 177 | 275 | 150 | 52 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 20 | ||||
References [edit]
- ^ http://www.nhl.com/ice/boxscore.htm?id=2006020027
- ^ "Travis Zajac Signed To Four-Year, $15.55 million Deal By NJ Devils To Avert Salary Arbitration". The Star-Ledger Rich Chere. 2009-07-22. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
- ^ "Despite Three-Goal Night, Parise-Zajac-Kovalchuk Line Sees Room For Improvement". NorthJersey.com=FireandIce. 2010-09-23. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
- ^ Offical Game Program of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. pg. 46.
External links [edit]
- Travis Zajac's career stats at Eliteprospects.com
- Travis Zajac's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
| Preceded by Zach Parise |
New Jersey Devils first round draft pick 2004 |
Succeeded by Niclas Bergfors |
