Bears Sign Defender Nolan Zajac to PTO

January 25, 2017

(Hershey, PA- January 25, 2017)-The Hershey Bears have signed defenseman Nolan Zajac to a professional tryout agreement, Vice President of Hockey Operations Bryan Helmer announced today. Zajac has joined the team in Hartford and will wear #39 for the Bears. 

Zajac, 24, has enjoyed a standout season with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye where he was named to the 2017 ECHL All-Star team. The rookie has posted 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists) and a +16 rating in 39 games with the Walleye. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Zajac ranks second among all ECHL defenders in points, and ranks fifth in points with Toledo. 

Prior to turning pro, Zajac skated at the University of Denver where he was coached by former Hershey forward Jim Montgomery. He helped Denver to the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four and served as an alternate captain during his senior season in 2015-16. He posted 95 points (19 goals, 76 assists) in 160 contests with the Pioneers. He was a three-time member of the NCHC All Academic Team. 

Zajac, a Winnipeg, Manitoba native, comes from a hockey family. His older brother, Kelly, is signed to an AHL contract by the Bears and is currently playing for Hershey’s ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays. His oldest brother, Travis, is a forward for the New Jersey Devils. Brother, Darcy, is a forward overseas, while father, Tom, was a forward at the University of Denver. 

Hershey is on the road for four straight games starting with tonight's contest in Hartford. The puck drops at 7 p.m. and the game may be heard on the Bears Radio Network.