By John Brazeau
CMHL Writer 

If Peter Zezel grew up in another country, it might have all been different. But as a Canadian, the game of hockey was his calling and it continues to be his passion.

After retiring from the NHL and recovering from a rare blood disorder, Zezel was ready to strap on the skates again. When he was asked to be a part of the Canadian Multicultural Hockey Championships, it didn’t take him long to say yes.

“When I heard about it, I said ‘What a great idea,’” Zezel said. “We have such a large ethnic background here in Toronto that it’s almost like a little world cup and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Although part-Irish, Zezel chose to honour his Serbian roots by joining the Serbian White Eagles as a player, coach and general manager. On top of his commitments to the league, Zezel also operates hockey and soccer camps and coaches minor hockey in Toronto, earning praise among his peers.

“He truly is an ambassador of the game,” said Nubian Knights General Manager Noel Morgan. “Zezel is a real good supporter, spending lots of time helping kids and he’s always there.”

It’s all part of who Zezel is as a role model. He knows what it’s like growing up as a kid in Toronto, idolizing the Maple Leafs. He was once one of them.

“It is our responsibility to guide these little hockey players to the best of their abilities to play hockey or even life skills and I think as we respect the younger kids, they’ll respect us,” Zezel said. “When we’re actually signing autographs and giving enjoyment to these kids, it’s such a big boost to put a smile on a kid’s face.”

As a youth, Zezel was a rising star in both hockey and soccer. He played for Canada’s Under-21 soccer team as a 15-year-old but he chose hockey as a professional career and was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers, 41st overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.

He joined Philadelphia the following year, as a 19-year-old fresh out of junior with the Toronto Marlboros. He had big skates to fill as Zezel was responsible for replacing veteran Darryl Sittler. With new coach Mike Keenan behind the bench, and a youth movement on the ice, the Flyers were the underdogs of the NHL but by the end of the 1984-85 season, Zezel was playing in the Stanley Cup final.

“It was amazing, even playing all year,” Zezel said. “Everybody thought we would end up in last place but we ended up going to the Stanley Cup final and the fans loved every minute of it.”

Unfortunately, the team was outmatched by the Edmonton Oilers and lost the series in five games.

Zezel was then bitten by the acting bug, appearing in the hockey movie Youngblood, starring Rob Lowe as a 17-year-old farm boy with NHL dreams. Although Zezel had offers for other acting roles, including a part in an Arnold Schwarzenegger film, he turned them down to continue his NHL career.

“I wanted my hockey career and who knows what would have happened if I had gone the other way,” Zezel said. “But I’m glad I chose hockey and that turned out the best.”

Zezel continued his NHL career, posting career highs, 33 goals and 72 points, in 1986-87. The Flyers made it to the Stanley Cup final, losing to the Edmonton Oilers again, in seven games. After stops in Washington and St. Louis, Zezel was traded to his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in 1990. It was his dream come true.

“The feeling was spectacular because I always dreamed to play for the Leafs,” Zezel said. “It was just such a thrill to put on that uniform and skate on the Maple Leaf Gardens ice where I watched many games as a kid.”

He played a key role as the checking centreman for Toronto in 1993 and 1994 as the Leafs made it to the Western Conference final in both years. Their 1993 season was not without controversy though. The Leafs were up three games to two against the Los Angeles Kings, and Toronto was ready to face the Montreal Canadiens in an all-Canadian Stanley Cup final. The last time Toronto faced Montreal in the final was in 1967, the last time the Leafs also won the Stanley Cup.

But the Kings fought back hard in game six, and the game went into overtime. Referee Kerry Fraser missed a high-sticking hit by Los Angeles’ Wayne Gretzky on Toronto’s Doug Gilmour, which could have set up a crucial powerplay for the Leafs. Instead, Gretzky scored and Los Angeles won the game, 5-4.

Gretzky made the Leafs pay again in game seven. The Great One scored a hat trick as Los Angeles won 5-4 again, eliminating the Leafs and ending Toronto’s season on a frustrating note.

“That was the year we should have won it and played Montreal in the final which will probably never happen again,” Zezel said. “It was just such a let down because we had the momentum in that game. If they had called the proper penalty, maybe we would have gone on to the Stanley Cup final that year, and probably would have won it.”

The dream of playing for the Leafs came to an end in the summer of 1994 as Zezel was sent to the Dallas Stars as compensation for the Leafs’ signing of free agent Mike Craig. The Leafs were being dismantled and Zezel was disappointed, especially when they were so close to challenging for the Stanley Cup.

“It was very difficult because we had such a winning team and the Leafs really messed everything up,” Zezel said. “Toronto went from two conference finals, and trading a bunch of us away, to not even making the playoffs.”

Zezel continued to play in the NHL until tragedy struck in 1999, when his niece Jilliann was terminally ill with leukemia in Toronto. Zezel, who was now playing for the Vancouver Canucks, asked to be traded to an Eastern Conference team to be closer to her. Instead, Vancouver did the exact opposite and traded him to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Zezel promptly retired and returned to Toronto to be with his niece.

He planned to return to the NHL after a year off but tragedy struck again in October 2001, as Zezel himself fell ill. He was diagnosed with hemolytic anemia, a rare blood disorder, and he nearly died twice. With his health at risk, returning to the NHL was no longer his biggest concern.

“I had such a long career already that it wasn’t such a big disappointment,” Zezel said. “If I had only played four or five years it would have but because I had played 16 years in the NHL, it didn’t really affect me as much as I thought it would.”

With his health back on track, Zezel was ready to play again and did not hesitate to join the Canadian Multicultural Hockey Championships in 2005. Founder Stan Papulkas was thrilled to have Zezel on board.

“Peter Zezel is multicultural. He promotes his Serbian heritage and gives back to his community,” Papulkas said. “He’s a true human being.”

With his Serbian team ready for another season, Zezel hopes to lead the squad to its first Canadian Multicultural Hockey title, while giving back to the community and continuing his hockey dream.