Flyers Sign Will Zmolek
March 7, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms News Release
Defenseman Flyers Sign Will Zmolek with Bemidji State University
(Lehigh Valley Phantoms)
Lehigh Valley, PA - The Philadelphia Flyers announced the club has signed defenseman Will Zmolek to a one-year entry-level contract beginning with the 2023-24 season, according to President of Hockey Operations & General Manager, Chuck Fletcher. Zmolek will report to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.
Zmolek, 23, served as an alternate captain and collected 21 points on four goals and 17 assists in 36 games this season with Bemidji State University of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) in a season in which he was also a Hobey Baker Award nominee. The 6-foot-4, 209-pound native of Rochester, Minn., led the Beavers in blocked shots (64), ranked third in assists and fourth in scoring.
The left-shot blueliner recorded a career-high three points including two goals on February 25 at St. Thomas, including a power-play goal and a shorthanded goal.
He was named CCHA's Defenseman of the Month for December 2022 and Defenseman of the Week on Nov. 14, 2022. He registered 9-37-46 points in 126 career games with the Beavers (2019-23) and earned Defenseman of the Week honors (March 8, 2022) during the 2021-22 season, was named to the WCHA All-Academic Team following the 2020-21 season and was named an ACHA Division I Krampade All-American Scholar following his freshman season in 2019-20.
Prior to joining Bemidji State, Zmolek scored 4-30-34 points in 121 career games with Cedar Rapids (2017-19) of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
His father, Doug Zmolek, was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars in the first round (seventh overall) of the 1989 NHL Draft out of the University of Minnesota. Doug Zmolek played 467 games over eight seasons in the NHL (1992-2000) with San Jose, Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago accumulating 905 PIM. Will's older brother, Riese Zmolek, currently plays for the Iowa Wild of the AHL after beginning the season as the captain with the ECHL Iowa Heartlanders.
The Phantoms travel to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for a Friday night rivalry matchup and then will return to PPL Center to open a five-game homestand on Saturday night against the Belleville Senators to begin Hockey Fiesta Weekend. The Phantoms will also host the Utica Comets on Sunday at 4:05 on meLVin Youth Jersey Day for the first 2,000 fans age 14 and younger.
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 Defenseman Flyers Sign Will Zmolek with Bemidji State University |
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