One To Watch – Sam Zajac

Name: Sam Zajac

DOB: 23/06/1989

Height: 5’7”

Weight: 11st 11lbs

Nationality: British

Position: Defence

Shoots: Right

 

Tonight’s one to watch is a tough defenceman, also capable of impressive points production, who hails from Whitley Bay up in the North East of England. He is also a face that will be recognisable to Wildcats fans given he played for the Wiltshire based side during the 2017-18 NIHL season.

 

For Zajac his career started in the notoriously tough Whitley youth system and he quickly progressed through to playing for the senior team, he made his debut aged just 16 and went on to play for the Warriors in the next 4 years. After this he got his first move into the UK’s 2nd tier league at the time, the old EPL, Zajac signed with the Telford Tigers and was instantly a hit, this caught the eye of Basingstoke and he was quickly snapped up for the following season.

 

As one of the best young defensive prospects in the country Zajac made the move up the Elite league the following year as he played with the Newcastle Vipers in their final season and after a good debut year in the Elite League he made the move to Braehead. The next 3 years were spent in Braehead during a very successful spell but after this he made the choice to step down a level and ply his trade in the EPL with Telford during the RED Hockey era of the Tigers.

After a trophy laden spell in Telford, Zajac was signed up to play for the Wildcats but the collapse of the EPL then put that move in doubt. He stayed with the Wildcats for the first half of the season, where he became a solid fan favourite due to his ability and toughness, unfortunately for the Wildcats a career opportunity beckoned back home, and he departed mid-way through the season.

 

When the opportunity to be head coach of the newly formed Leeds Chiefs presented itself to Zajac in 2019 he jumped at the chance and he did a very respectable job given the tough circumstances he inherited, playing without a home rink for much of the year. With the rebrand to the Knights and the installation of Dave Whistle as coach Zajac was quickly snapped up as a defenceman as he is still one of the best players in his position in the NIHL today.