You don’t think of Las Vegas as being a hotbed for raising hockey players, but one who emerged from the desert is Minnesota Wild left winger Jason Zucker.
Jason Zucker #16 of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck while Brenden Dillon #4 of the San Jose Sharks defends.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
Zucker is playing a pivotal role for the Wild as they try to comeback from a 2-0 deficit to the Dallas Stars in their first round series. Zucker has an assist in the Wild’s lone goal on the series, but knows what he has to continue to do to help the team.
“I have to make sure I’m doing all the things I know how to do to affect the game in a positive way,” Zucker said. “I can use my speed, shoot pucks. I can pressure on the forecheck. I can do a lot of things that help us win games.
“In the playoffs, there’s no such thing as a bad shot. For me, it’s all about doing the little things and making sure we’re giving ourselves the best chance to win games.”
Zucker moved to Michigan to play with the prestigious Compuware AAA program in Plymouth, and then moved to Ann Arbor to play for the U.S. National Development Team program at both the U-17 and U-18 levels. He then moved back west to play for Denver University.
“I grew up watching Denver. They were the only team televised in Vegas,” Zucker said. “I watched them win their National Championships in 2004 and 2005. I wasn’t a die-hard fan, but anytime they were on, I picked them to win over anybody.”
Jason Zucker (Photo by Andy King/NHLI via Getty Images)
Zucker picked the Pioneers over Michigan and Miami, which was nice for his parents who were a short flight away, but also because it would help him move to the next level.
“I wanted to be in the NHL I was going to find a place that was going to get me here,” he said.
For more with Jason Zucker, go to TCJewfolk.com for the complete interview.
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