As the youngest and smallest of four hockey-loving brothers, Nolan Zajac always had to hang with the big boys.
The rookie defenseman for the Toledo Walleye can easily pinpoint the building blocks for his now burgeoning pro career. All four Zajac brothers grew up playing on the outdoor rinks in Winnipeg, and all now play professional hockey.
Nolan’s oldest brother, Travis, is in his 11th season playing for the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. The veteran center, now 31, has been a consistent point producer for more than a decade. Darcy Zajac, 30, played six seasons in the American Hockey League, and now competes overseas in Europe. Kelly Zajac, 28, is in his sixth pro season and currently plays for the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL.
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“All my success comes from my family,” said Nolan Zajac, who made his pro debut Oct. 14 with Toledo. “They all helped me along the way. I grew up always wanting to play hockey. My brothers would say the same thing. Now to play the sport you love for money is icing on the cake.”
Zajac, who played four years at college power the University of Denver, has been the Walleye’s top producing blueliner. In nine games, Zajac has tallied eight points. He has scored two goals and added six assists, ranking second among all ECHL defensemen in points.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder gives full credit to his family for the quick success, including his father Tom who also played at Denver.
“I give them all the credit,” Zajac said. “They all had an influence on me. They prepared me for this. My dad was a big influence on me. It’s nice having a few brothers who you can rely on.”
Zajac said he, his brothers, and their friends would spend countless hours on the outdoor rinks around Winnipeg.
“It was hockey all the way,” he said. “Those were some of my best times playing hockey. I was always the smallest one and I always wanted to play with the big boys.”
While all three of his older brothers focused on scoring goals as forwards, young Nolan went a different direction.
“At first, I wanted to be a goalie,” he said. “Then I settled on playing defense. All my brothers are forwards. So I’m the weird one in the family.”
The Zajac brothers remain competitive with each other to this day, going at it in golf and tennis among other sports.
“I play ping pong against my brothers. We have a table in our garage back at home. There’s been a lot of battles on that table the last few summers,” Nolan said.
Zajac’s competitive nature and attacking style as a puck-moving defenseman who distributes and contributes has fit nicely into Walleye coach Dan Watson’s system.
“He fits exactly who we are, plays fast in transition, has a knack for offense, wants to get better every day and fits our culture of winning,” Watson said.
“He continues to grow and develop with each game. He has American League upside for sure, and we’re fortunate he chose Toledo to start his pro career.”
Zajac helped lead Denver to the 2016 Frozen Four and left as one of the top 10 highest-scoring blueliners in program history. In his four-year career, Zajac posted 19 goals and 76 assists for 95 points in 160 games.
He then was invited to NHL training camp with the Minnesota Wild before signing with Toledo.
Zajac is tied for fourth among all ECHL rookies in points. His teammates, twin forwards Tyson and Tylor Spink, rank No. 1 and 2, respectively, among first-year players.
Tyson Spink (4 G, 8 A) and Tylor Spink (4 G, 6 A) lead a Toledo team that tops the ECHL in goals per game (4.44 per contest).
“This team has been exceptional,” Zajac said. “We have a lot of speed and a lot of skill. You can tell we have a good team. ”
Toledo has won seven of its first nine games and are in second place in the Central Division with 14 points, four points behind first-place Tulsa (9-2-0).
“When the team is doing well, you do well,” Zajac said. “It gives you confidence. The coaches have put me in a good position to succeed.”
Nine games into the season, the Walleye have yet to play a division opponent. Toledo plays Central Division foe Kalamazoo at 10:30 a.m. today. But the Walleye have the top road record (6-1-0) in the ECHL. Ten of the team’s first 12 games are away from home, including the next three.
“I don’t mind it that we started out on the road,” Zajac said. “It brings the guys together. With the close quarters, guys are gelling.”
While Zajac’s goal is to continue to work up the pro ranks, he said Toledo has been the perfect place to start his career.
“It’s been great. It’s an awesome rink,” Zajac said.
“The first thing I noticed is the way the community embraces this team. The fans are awesome.”
Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354 or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.
First Published November 9, 2016, 5:09 a.m.
