Pavel Zacha

Pavel Zacha (born 6 April 1997) is a Czech professional ice hockey player for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Zacha was selected sixth overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Amateur
Zacha played in the 2009 and 2010 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with his minor ice hockey team from Chomutov.

Zacha made his Czech Extraliga debut playing with HC Bílí Tygři Liberec during the 2013–14 Czech Extraliga season.

In the 2014 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, Zacha was selected first overall by the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He joined the Sting for the 2014–15 season, recording 34 points in 37 games. Zacha followed up in his final season with the Sting by recording 64 points in 51 games. OHL coaches awarded Zacha as the best penalty-killer in the Western Conference after his 2015–16 season.

In 2014, 2015, 2016 Zacha competed in the IIHF World Junior Championship with the Czech Republic.

New Jersey Devils
Zacha was ranked eighth for North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He was selected sixth overall by the New Jersey Devils. On 11 August 2015, the Devils signed Zacha to a three-year, entry-level contract. He returned to the Sting for the 2015–16 season. Soon after the Sting season ended, Zacha joined the Devils. He made his NHL debut on 9 April 2016, recording two assists in a 5–1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Zacha made the Devils' lineup for the 2016–17 season. He scored his first NHL goal on 3 November 2016 in a 4–3 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers. He finished the season with eight goals and 24 points in 70 games.

After going pointless in ten games to start the 2018–19 season, Zacha was assigned to the Binghamton Devils of the American Hockey League (AHL) on 2 November 2018.

On 10 September 2019, Zacha signed a three-year extension with the Devils.

During the 2019–20 season Zacha recorded 32 points, a personal NHL career high.

Boston Bruins
On 13 July 2022, Zacha as a restricted free agent was traded by the Devils to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Erik Haula. In avoiding arbitration with the Bruins, Zacha was later signed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract for the 2022–23 season on 8 August 2022.

Zacha found great success in his first season in Boston, mainly playing as a wing on the first line alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Zacha had a career year, crushing his previous career highs in goals, assists, and points. On 14 January 2023, Zacha was signed to a four-year contract extension by the Bruins. Zacha would play in all 82 games for the Bruins, scoring 21 goals and 36 assists for 57 points. He would also register six assists in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, playing in all seven games of the Bruins first round loss against the Florida Panthers.

Following the news of David Krejčí and Bergeron's respective retirements in the summer of 2023, Zacha was expected to take a step up and serve as one of the Bruins top centers, after serving mostly as a winger the previous year. With big shoes to fill, Zacha stepped up and delivered yet another successful season for the Bruins, shifting around the lineup in a center role. After a four game stretch where he scored five goals and two assists, Zacha was named the NHL Second Star of the Week in mid-March. Zacha tied his previous season total with 21 goals, but added 38 assists—two more than the previous season—to set a career high in assists and points for the second consecutive season.

International play
After the Bruins elimination in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Zacha went to represent the Czech Republic in the 2024 IIHF World Championship, his first time representing his country in ten years. Zacha would score the lone goal in a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over the United States, and would eventually help the Czechs to a gold medal.