Travis Zajac
Encyclopedia
Travis Zajac 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.
4–0. The next evening against the Dallas Stars
he registered his first NHL goal against Marty Turco
during a 3-1 loss.
On April 19, 2009, Zajac scored his second career playoff goal that lifted New Jersey to a 3-2 overtime
win against the Hurricanes in Carolina. 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.
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:
Moreover, during the offseason, Zajac mentioned that he improved his skating technique. Therefore, he says that will propel him to be a faster skater in the upcoming season. He also went up north around Minnesota
during the offseason alongside Zach Parise to train with Scott Bjugstad
on shooting. Although Zajac is still looking to become a game-changing player in this league, Parise was quoted saying, "I think he's been an impact player since his rookie season." Furthermore, his teammates agree that the 25 year old Zajac will be an even more dominant player for years to come.
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.
On March 17, 2011, Travis Zajac became the New Jersey Devils record holder for Most Consecutive Games, starting his 389th game against the Ottawa Senators. He surpassed Ken Daneyko's record of 388 consecutive starts.
. His three brothers, Darcy, Kelly and Nolan all play ice hockey as well. Darcy plays for the Albany Devils (AHL), while Kelly plays for Union College (ECAC). Of the four Zajac brothers, Nolan is the only defenseman; he plays for the Omaha Lancers (USHL).
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player currently playing for the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). He was selected 20th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft
2004 NHL Entry Draft
The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed...
by the New Jersey Devils.
New Jersey Devils (2006–present)
Zajac made his NHL debut on October 6, 2006, as New Jersey shutout CarolinaCarolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
4–0. The next evening against the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
he registered his first NHL goal against Marty Turco
Marty Turco
Marty Turco is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He has played professionally with the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks. Because of his puckhandling prowess, Canadian hockey personality Don Cherry named Turco: "the smartest goalie in the...
during a 3-1 loss.
On April 19, 2009, Zajac scored his second career playoff goal that lifted New Jersey to a 3-2 overtime
Overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
win against the Hurricanes in Carolina. 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.
Throughout the 2010-11 offseason, many members of the New Jersey Devils (i.e., Zach Parise
Zach Parise
Zachary Justin Parise is an American professional ice hockey left winger of French-Canadian origin and captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . Parise's father, J. P...
, Jamie Langenbrunner
Jamie Langenbrunner
James Craig Langenbrunner is an American professional ice hockey player. He's an alternate captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League . He was the captain of the 2010 United States Olympic Team...
and Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
) 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:
Moreover, during the offseason, Zajac mentioned that he improved his skating technique. Therefore, he says that will propel him to be a faster skater in the upcoming season. He also went up north around Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
during the offseason alongside Zach Parise to train with Scott Bjugstad
Scott Bjugstad
Barry Scott Bjugstad is a retired professional ice hockey forward who played 317 games in the National Hockey League between 1984 and 1992. He played for the Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings...
on shooting. Although Zajac is still looking to become a game-changing player in this league, Parise was quoted saying, "I think he's been an impact player since his rookie season." Furthermore, his teammates agree that the 25 year old Zajac will be an even more dominant player for years to come.
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
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...
as his right wing. According to multiple reports, Zajac is slated to be on the first line centering Kovalchuk and Parise on opening day.
On March 17, 2011, Travis Zajac became the New Jersey Devils record holder for Most Consecutive Games, starting his 389th game against the Ottawa Senators. He surpassed Ken Daneyko's record of 388 consecutive starts.
Personal life
Zajac's father played hockey for three years at the University of DenverUniversity of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
. His three brothers, Darcy, Kelly and Nolan all play ice hockey as well. Darcy plays for the Albany Devils (AHL), while Kelly plays for Union College (ECAC). Of the four Zajac brothers, Nolan is the only defenseman; he plays for the Omaha Lancers (USHL).
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2002–03 | Salmon Arm Silverbacks Salmon Arm Silverbacks The Salmon Arm Silverbacks are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada. They are a part of the British Columbia Hockey League.-2010/2011 Player Roster:1 Kris Moore4 Dustin Cave5 Jayson Reardon... |
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 Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference.... |
43 | 17 | 19 | 36 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | North Dakota Fighting Sioux | WCHA | 45 | 17 | 27 | 44 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
Albany River Rats Albany River Rats The Albany River Rats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.- Founding to 2010 :... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | New Jersey Devils New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
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 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 20 | 42 | 62 | 29 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 25 | 42 | 67 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 13 | 31 | 44 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 408 | 89 | 160 | 249 | 124 | 28 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 16 | ||||