Nolan Zajac (born August 1, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for Grizzlys Wolfsburg in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Early Life
Zajac was born on August 1, 1992, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as the youngest son of Tom and Trish Zajac. His older brothers Travis, Kelly, and Darcy are all professional ice hockey players. His father Tom played collegiate hockey for the University of Denver. Growing up, Zajac initially wanted to play goaltender but was encouraged to become a defenceman by his older brothers.
Playing Career
Amateur
Zajac played minor ice hockey with the Winnipeg Thrashers of the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League. He competed in the 2009 Telus Cup, where he was the top scorer, and also represented Team Canada West at the 2009 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He was drafted 12th overall by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the 2009 United States Hockey League (USHL) Draft. He played 101 games with the RoughRiders, recording 42 points, before being traded to the Omaha Lancers. Zajac was selected for the 2011 USHL Mid-Season All-Star Team and finished his USHL tenure with 80 points in 154 games.
Zajac committed to and played four seasons with the Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey team at the University of Denver.
Professional
Zajac turned professional in 2016. He completed his first professional season fifth among all ECHL defenders in scoring with 54 points and appeared in 11 American Hockey League (AHL) contests with the Iowa Wild, Hershey Bears, and Manitoba Moose. On August 4, 2017, he signed his first AHL contract with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. While playing with the Reading Royals, he was selected for the 2017–18 All-ECHL Second Team after ending the season tied for second among league blue liners in scoring.
Zajac subsequently played in Europe, signing with IK Oskarshamn of the HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden, the Stavanger Oilers of the Norwegian Eliteserien, and later returning to IK Oskarshamn. He has also played for Timrå IK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), Augsburger Panther in the DEL, and Grizzlys Wolfsburg in the DEL.
Personal
Zajac is 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) tall and weighs 185 lb (84 kg). He shoots left-handed and plays the position of defenceman. He went undrafted in the NHL Entry Draft.
