Travis Zajac (North Dakota) has called it an NHL career.
Zajac, 36, signed a one-day contract earlier this week to retire as a New Jersey Devil, the team he spent almost all of his 15-year professional career with. Traded to the New York Islanders at the 2021 trade deadline, he played in 13 regular-season and 14 playoff contests with the Isles, notching two goals and four points in all, while helping them to within a game of the Stanley Cup Final.
The 6-foot-2 center from Winnipeg was drafted 20th overall by New Jersey in 2004 and made his Devils debut in 2006-07, their final season playing in the Meadowlands. In 1,037 regular-season NHL outings, he posted 203 goals and 349 assists for 552 points and 334 penalty minutes, to go with 12-18—30 points and 26 PIM in 71 Stanley Cup Playoff contests.
Zajac was also a member of New Jersey's 2012 Eastern Conference championship team, and is among the Devils' all-time leaders in games played, goals, assists, and points. He also owns the franchise record for most consecutive games played (401), established from the start of the 2006-07 season through the close of the 2010-11 campaign.
Zajac, who earned a silver medal with Canada at the 2019 World Championship, played two collegiate seasons at UND, where he tallied 38-48—86 points in 91 games with the then-Fighting Sioux. He helped UND to the Frozen Four in both of his NCAA campaigns, including the 2005 national championship game in Columbus, Ohio. His brothers Darcy (North Dakota), Kelly (Union) and Nolan (Denver) also played college hockey.
Zajac is now expected to join the Devils organization in an as-yet undefined capacity.
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