Zarley Zalapski

Did You Know?

• His first name came from his father's admiration for professional golfer Kermit Zarley.
• He became a Swiss citizen in 2006 through his marriage to Klaudjia.
• He had two sons named Zen and Kai.

Playing career

Zalapski began his career with the Fort Saskatchewan Traders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, recording 70 points in 67 games during his first season. He then spent two years with the Canadian National Team before being drafted fourth overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1986. In the NHL he accumulated 99 goals and 285 assists for 384 points, along with 684 penalty minutes, over 637 games. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada finished fourth after losing their first medal-round game, though Zalapski contributed to victories over West Germany and Czechoslovakia. After an 11-year NHL career with the Penguins, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, and Philadelphia Flyers, he played in Germany, Italy, and Austria before finding his stride in the Swiss National League. He retired after the 2009–10 NLB season.

Death

Zalapski died at age 49 on December 10, 2017, from complications of a viral infection. He had been hospitalized in October 2017 with viral myocarditis and was released later that month. His sister Kyla requested an examination of his brain, which was sent to Toronto. Neuropathologist Dr. Lili-Naz Hazrati determined that Zalapski had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and more tau protein than former NHL defenceman Steve Montador.