ST. PAUL, Minn. — For Jason Zucker, the two-year NCAA plan was the right route to professional hockey. His former college coach, George Gwozdecky, would argue that for every Zucker there are two others who forgo their amateur eligibility too soon, and that could apply to at least two of Zucker’s former University of Denver teammates.
But Zucker, based on his minor-league experiences and current status with the Minnesota Wild, is confident he left the Pioneers at the right time in 2012.
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Zucker said of his path to the NHL, beginning with his family’s decision to have him leave Las Vegas at age 15 to play midget hockey in Detroit and then the nearby U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. “If I had to go back and be 15 years old again and decide where I was going to go to school and the route I was going to take, I’d pick Denver and the USNDP again. I wouldn’t think twice about.”
Zucker’s departure from DU coincided with those of classmate Beau Bennett of the Pittsburgh Penguins and junior Drew Shore, now in the Calgary Flames organization. The previous year, Matt Donovan bolted the Pioneers for the New York Islanders after his sophomore year, and Scott Mayfield and Nick Shore did the same in 2013. Mayfield signed with the Islanders after two years at DU; and Shore with the Kings after his junior year.
The mass exodus had nothing to do with Gwozdecky’s coaching but everything to do with his recruiting. All the elite NCAA teams lose their best players early; the goal is to find the right balance and hope that the two-year guys stay for a third season.
But not everyone turns out like Zucker, who was born in Newport Beach, Calif., and raised in Las Vegas. Zucker bounced between the Wild and it’s AHL affiliate Houston Aeros (now Iowa Wild) for two seasons before cementing his NHL status this season. After beginning the year on Minnesota’s fourth line, he led the team in goal-scoring recently and is now playing left wing on the second line, with center Mikko Koivu and right wing Jason Pominville.
Entering Saturday’s game against the visiting Avalanche, Zucker was second on the team with 18 goals and first in even-strength/short-handed scoring.
Similar to his time at DU, Zucker is playing much bigger than his 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame and getting the majority of his goals within five feet of the net. He’s fearless.
“Coming into the season, I obviously didn’t have a guaranteed spot on the team, and I had to work my way up. But I was fortunate — even on the fourth line — to play with great guys,” said Zucker, who turned 23 last month. “It was a blessing in disguise because I was learning the ropes of playing the defensive game and making sure I’m doing the right things. That allows you to work up and have your offense show.”
Zucker has 26 goals in 93 career NHL regular-season games. A fantastic start, indeed. But he’s not even a power-play specialist.
“Our power play has two very strong units and it’s not easy to crack into that,” Zucker said.
The decision for a young NHL candidate to play four years and earn a degree in college or develop in the minor leagues is difficult for everyone. Zucker has no regrets now, but was disappointed in his progress not long ago.
“It can definitely get frustrating at times, but you have to make sure you’re using those experiences as a positive,” he said. “For me, I think the AHL helped me a ton, really helped prepare for the (NHL) game. At times, yeah, you can get frustrated and say, ‘I should be up there.’ But the Wild are doing what is making this team the best, and make each young player the best they can be in a few years.
“By leaving college when I did, I was able to realize what I needed to do and realize how tough the pro game is. You never know until you play in it.”
Mike Chambers: mchambers@ or
