Kelly Zajac

Kelly Zajac (born June 6, 1988) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Union Dutchmen in the NCAA Men's Division I ECAC Hockey conference and in the American Hockey League for the Albany Devils, Manitoba Moose and Hershey Bears.

Kelly Zajac
Born (1988-06-06) June 6, 1988
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 174 lb (79 kg; 12 st 6 lb)
Position Forward
Shot Left
Played for Albany Devils
Lukko
Manitoba Moose
Hershey Bears
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2012–2018

Playing career

After finishing his collegiate hockey career with Union College, Zajac signed as a free agent with the AHL's Albany Devils in 2011. In August 2015, Zajac left the Devils organization and signed a one-year contract with Finnish Liiga club, Lukko, which included an initial two month try-out.[1] Three months later, Zajac returned to the AHL after signing with the Manitoba Moose.[2] The Moose released Zajac on February 12, 2016 after which Zajac signed with the South Carolina Stingrays.[3]

Zajac originally opted to return to Europe for a second season in agreeing to a contract with Tingsryds AIF, however on May 22, 2016, Zajac decided to stay in North America after the conclusion of the 2015–16 season with the Stingrays.[4] He then signed a two-way contract with the Hershey Bears and Stingrays for the 2016–17 season.[5]

Personal life

Kelly is the younger brother of professional hockey players Travis and Darcy Zajac. Their youngest brother, Nolan, played with the NCAA Denver Pioneers. Their father, Tom, also played for the University of Denver.[6]

Career statistics
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2006–07 Salmon Arm Silverbacks BCHL 59 11 20 31 20 11 0 0 0 4
2007–08 Salmon Arm Silverbacks BCHL 60 21 41 62 28 11 3 8 11 4
2008–09 Union College ECAC 39 6 14 20 29 — — — — —
2009–10 Union College ECAC 39 10 14 24 10 — — — — —
2010–11 Union College ECAC 40 13 29 42 16 — — — — —
2011–12 Union College ECAC 41 8 34 42 10 — — — — —
2011–12 Albany Devils AHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2012–13 Albany Devils AHL 14 2 2 4 0 — — — — —
2012–13 Trenton Devils ECHL 15 6 10 16 8 — — — — —
2013–14 Albany Devils AHL 67 12 32 44 4 4 0 2 2 2
2014–15 Albany Devils AHL 24 3 10 13 18 — — — — —
2015–16 Lukko Liiga 11 2 2 4 0 — — — — —
2015–16 Manitoba Moose AHL 14 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
2015–16 South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 21 9 13 22 0 19 3 15 18 2
2016–17 South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 59 13 39 52 14 22 6 11 17 2
2016–17 Hershey Bears AHL 9 4 3 7 2 — — — — —
2017–18 South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 60 20 36 56 16 4 0 0 0 0
2017–18 Hershey Bears AHL 2 0 1 1 0 — — — — —
AHL totals 133 21 49 70 26 4 0 2 2 2

Awards and honours
Award Year
College
All-ECAC Hockey Second Team 2010–11 [7]
All-ECAC Hockey Third Team 2011–12
ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Forward 2011–12 [8]

References
  1. "Kelly Zajac given a look for the offense". Lukko (in Finnish). August 30, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  2. "Moose sign Kelly Zajac". MooseHockey.com. November 16, 2015.
  3. "Stingrays Sign Kelly Zajac". ECAC Hockey. February 18, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  4. "Kelly Zajac will not connect to Tingsryds" (in Swedish). Tingsryds AIF. May 22, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  5. "Stingrays Kelly Zajac has become one of the elite forwards in ECHL". The Post and Courier. January 5, 2017.
  6. "Family Ties Run Deep At Devils Camp". Fox News. July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  7. Elite Prospects - Hockey Awards & Achievements - NCAA (ECAC) Second All-Star Team
  8. "ECAC Hockey Mobile - League Announces Regular-Season Awards". Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
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