Zarley Zalapski

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.

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]

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]

• Named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1989.
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (1993)

Regular season and playoffs

More information Regular season, Playoffs ...

				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

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International

More information Year, Team ...

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

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