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Zarley Zalapski

Zarley Zalapski
Zalapski with Lausanne HC in 2010
Born (1968-04-22)April 22, 1968
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Died December 10, 2017(2017-12-10) (aged 49)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Pittsburgh Penguins
Hartford Whalers
Calgary Flames
Montreal Canadiens
Philadelphia Flyers
National team  Canada
NHL draft 4th overall, 1986
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 1987–2010

Zarley Bennett Zalapski (April 22, 1968 – December 10, 2017) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played from 1987 to 2010.

Playing career

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Zalapski's career started with the Fort Saskatchewan Traders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. In his first season with the Traders, Zalapski tallied 70 points in 67 games, including 17 goals. Zalapski spent the next two years playing with the Canadian National Team. Zalapski was picked 4th in the 1st round by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. He tallied 99 goals, and 285 assists, for a total of 384 points in his 637 games in the NHL. He also registered 684 penalty minutes.

He was a member of the Canadian Olympic Hockey team in the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary, Alberta. Canada would end up missing the medal podium and finished in fourth place. Although Canada lost their first game in the medal round, Zalapski played a key role in the team's victories over West Germany and Czechoslovakia.

After his 11-year career in the National Hockey League playing for the Penguins, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, and Philadelphia Flyers, he then played for teams in hockey leagues in Germany, Italy, and Austria. He finally found his stride when in Switzerland in the Swiss National League. Zalapski retired after the 2009–10 NLB season.

Personal life

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Zalapski was the son of Len and Bonnie Zalapski. His unusual first name came as a result of his father Len, a golf enthusiast, naming him after professional golfer Kermit Zarley. Zalapski had one sister, Kyla.

Zalapski became a Swiss citizen in 2006 through his marriage to his wife, Klaudjia. The couple had two sons, Zen and Kai.[1]

Death

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Zalapski died on December 10, 2017, at the age of 49, after complications from a viral infection. He had been hospitalized in October 2017 with viral myocarditis and was released later that month after treatment.[2][3][4]

Following his death, his sister Kyla Zalapski wanted to know if he had any brain health issues.[5] Zalapski had had at least two concussions in his NHL career. His sister had his brain sent to Toronto to be examined. Neuropathologist Dr. Lili-Naz Hazrati determined that Zalapski had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). He also had more tau (abnormal brain protein) than found in another former NHL defenceman, Steve Montador, who died at age 35.[5]

Awards

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Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1984–85 Fort Saskatchewan Traders AJHL 57 14 45 59 14 10 3 8 11 0
1985–86 Fort Saskatchewan Traders AJHL 27 20 33 53 46 — — — — —
1985–86 Canadian National Team Intl 32 2 4 6 10 — — — — —
1986–87 Canadian National Team Intl 74 11 29 40 28 — — — — —
1987–88 Canadian National Team Intl 55 4 16 20 34 — — — — —
1987–88 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 15 3 8 11 7 — — — — —
1988–89 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 58 12 33 45 57 11 1 8 9 13
1989–90 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 51 6 25 31 37 — — — — —
1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 66 12 36 48 59 — — — — —
1990–91 Hartford Whalers NHL 11 3 3 6 6 6 1 3 4 8
1991–92 Hartford Whalers NHL 79 20 37 57 120 7 2 3 5 6
1992–93 Hartford Whalers NHL 83 14 51 65 94 — — — — —
1993–94 Hartford Whalers NHL 56 7 30 37 56 — — — — —
1993–94 Calgary Flames NHL 13 3 7 10 18 7 0 3 3 2
1994–95 Calgary Flames NHL 48 4 24 28 46 7 0 4 4 4
1995–96 Calgary Flames NHL 80 12 17 29 115 4 0 1 1 10
1996–97 Calgary Flames NHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1997–98 Calgary Flames NHL 35 2 7 9 41 — — — — —
1997–98 Montreal Canadiens NHL 28 1 5 6 22 6 0 1 1 4
1998–99 ZSC Lions NDA 11 1 5 6 37 3 1 0 1 4
1999–00 Long Beach Ice Dogs IHL 7 0 5 5 6 — — — — —
1999–00 Utah Grizzlies IHL 56 4 24 28 69 5 1 1 2 4
1999–00 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 12 0 2 2 6 — — — — —
2000–01 Houston Aeros IHL 9 0 2 2 12 — — — — —
2000–01 München Barons DEL 20 3 3 6 43 3 0 0 0 2
2001–02 HC Merano ITA 26 5 9 14 12 — — — — —
2002–03 Esbjerg IK DEN 5 0 6 6 0 — — — — —
2002–03 IF Björklöven Allsv 14 1 4 5 6 3 0 0 0 4
2004–05 Kalamazoo Wings UHL 11 2 2 4 12 — — — — —
2005–06 Rapperswil–Jona Lakers NLA 4 0 1 1 18 — — — — —
2005–06 Innsbrucker EV AUT 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2005–06 EHC Visp SUI–2 6 0 2 2 8 — — — — —
2006–07 EHC Chur SUI–2 5 1 5 6 36 — — — — —
2007–08 EHC Biel–Bienne SUI–2 33 2 14 16 46 — — — — —
2008–09 EHC Olten SUI–2 34 2 18 20 56 — — — — —
2008–09 Lausanne HC SUI–2 2 0 1 1 2 14 1 7 8 10
2009–10 Lausanne HC SUI–2 28 1 6 7 36 20 1 4 5 20
NHL totals 637 99 285 384 684 48 4 23 27 47

International

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Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1987 Canada WC 10 0 3 3 2
1988 Canada OG 8 1 3 4 2
Senior totals 18 1 6 7 4

References

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  1. ^ Matheson, Jim (December 12, 2017). "Leduc's Zarley Zalapski, former NHLer and teenage phenom, dead at 49". Edmonton Journal.
  2. ^ "Former Calgary Flames defenceman Zarley Zalapski dead at 49". globalnews.ca.
  3. ^ "Former NHL defenceman Zarley Zalapski dead at 49 - Sportsnet.ca". Sportsnet.ca. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  4. ^ "Zalapski, former NHL defenseman, dies at 49". NHL.ca. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Zarley Zalapski's story shows CTE isn't black and white". The Globe and Mail. September 14, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
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Preceded by Pittsburgh Penguins first round draft pick
1986 		Succeeded by