“It just comes to my mind,” the 21-year-old Anaheim Ducks center said last month. “I don’t know, let your instincts take over.”
Though Zegras has become the unofficial face of trick shots in the NHL, he’s not alone. Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Shchnikov22, has twice scored a lacrosse-style goal known as “The Michigan” – on October 29, 2019 against the Calgary Flames and on December 17, 2019 against the Winnipeg Jets.
Video: CAR@WPG: Svechnikov scores second lacrosse-style goal
And with a new wave of young stars coming into the league, we can expect more. Bring ’em on, say NHL players.
“It’s always fun to see guys make different moves that are effective, right?” Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane said. “[Florida Panthers center Aleksander] Barkov had a goal last year where he put the puck behind his back while running forward and brought it in with the backhand, stuff like that.
“Even if I do something like a spin-o-rama, it could be called a flashy play, but it’s effective because you’re protecting the puck, the guy can’t get the puck off my body from that position. If someone pulls back, I could drive past or shoot. I like these pieces that have meaning to them.
Zegras’ first foray into trick-shot territory came not by a goal but by an assist last season. On December 7, Zegras controlled the puck behind the Buffalo Sabers’ net and flicked the puck over the net to Sonny Milano, who slammed it into the goal. On January 27, he scored a lacrosse-style goal against the Montreal Canadiens. On April 1, Zegras drew another “Michigan” — so named because he was made famous by University of Michigan player Mike Legg on March 24, 1996 — against the Arizona Coyotes.
Video: ANA@BUF: Zegras praises unreal pass for Milano
The show was top notch at the 2022 NHL All-Star Skills at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on February 4th. New Jersey Devils Center Jack Hughes21, had a mini version of himself — Brekken Scoppetto, 10-year-old son of Devils Equipment Manager Chris Scoppetto — came out of a box and scored, and the two made identical stick throws. Zegras disguised as Peter La FleurVince Vaughn’s character in the 2004 comedy Dodgeball wore a white blindfold and, while NHL mascots tossed dodgeballs at him, raised the puck on his racquet, made a 360-degree spin, and returned to score a goal achieve.
Then-Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat, now with the Ottawa Senators, channeled his inner Alan from the 2009 comedy The Hangover, complete with baby carrier. Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr threw a football to the 24-year-old, who was carrying it, before throwing it into the net with a backhand shot off his racquet.
The spectacular goals and the creativity that comes with them are part of the next generation of NHL players, Winnipeg Jets Center Markus Scheifele said.
“You watch them train and it comes naturally to them,” said Scheifele, 29. “I’ve tried some of the stuff and yes I can, but it’s not natural. You really have to think about it. These guys just do it on command so it’s pretty impressive. You obviously have a lot of skill. They have a lot of skill with that racquet and puck and it’s definitely fun to watch.”
Defender for the New York Rangers Jacob Trouba and Canadians forward Nick Suzuki said players in the NHL notice trick shots and talk about them in locker rooms. But Suzuki said he won’t be trying anytime soon.
“It might cross my mind a few times when they get around the net, but he (Zegras) is so good at it,” said the 23-year-old Suzuki, who saw it firsthand when Zegras made his “Michigan” scored against the Canadiens. “You can practice it as many times as you want, but when it comes to the game it’s different and for him it’s very special when he does it multiple times.”
Granted, not everyone likes them. As an analyst for ESPN last season, John Tortorella, now the Philadelphia Flyers coach, said he wasn’t a fan of the Zegras-Milano goal.
“I’m not trying to be difficult,” Tortorella, 64, said on Dec. 10. “It’s fun to watch, it’s really cool, but I just think our game is so far from what the game should be. A tough game, an honest game. It has almost become a showman. I know you gotta have it, you gotta sell the game, but I’m the type that an honest hockey game needs to be played.
Blackhawks forward Max Domi said he tried trick shots when he was younger but not anymore. He’s not their biggest fan either.
“I don’t hate it at all, I think it’s great if you want to do it,” said Domi, 27. “I just think there are other things you want to work on. There are enough basic skills we have to spend our time working on. I used to chirp ‘Svech’ about it in Carolina (last season). I would say: ‘Are you going to pick it up, Svech?’ He’s a great kid, so much talent, so much skill. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it. I am something in between.”
Kane said that working on animation was frowned upon growing up and that “we never did anything like it.” So why is it a bigger part of the game for the NHL’s younger players? It’s part of the practice repertoire for some, including Zegras, who said he’ll “try some fun stuff” in the first five minutes of a skate. Are younger players just willing to experiment, take more risks?
“I don’t know where that came from,” said Kane, 33. “Now you see certain things like the trail [Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney] Crosby skated, opening his hips. That was something I never did as a kid either, and now you see that a lot of these guys who are great skaters are able to do it and do it with some strength [Minnesota Wild forward Kirill] Kaprizov or [Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale] Makar. Well, it’s pretty impressive to see stuff like that.
“It seems like younger players are watching players in the NHL that they like and picking up on certain things, but I’m not sure where the picking up of all those things came from and how it became effective. But Svechnikov has one done it a few times, too, right? Maybe someone like Zegras will see it as effective and start mastering it even better.”
Defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets Zach Werenskywho skated with Zegras in Michigan during the off-season said Zegras is working to finish “The Michigan” on the fly.
“I’ve seen it a few times this summer. He’s been working on a few things,” Werenski said. “He just doesn’t miss. I asked what his next step was and he said, ‘I want to try that this year.’ He showed me how and it worked perfectly the first time. I can’t even explain what it is, but I have a feeling it will come from him this year.
The trick shots seem to be here to stay. Sure, there’s a degree of difficulty and risk that comes with them, but they’re entertaining and if it ends in a goal, it’s worth the try. Outside of Zegras’ latest spin in The Michigan, no one can tell what the next trick shot goal will be.
And it can’t be from Zegras. Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachukwho has hit between the legs more than once with a shot said he expects some new tricks this season.
Video: CGY@NSH: Tkachuk goes between his legs for OT winner
“‘The Michigan’ has been hit a lot since Svechnikov, people are scoring through legs,” said Tkachuk, 24. “We haven’t seen an ambush yet, but it’s quite risky. It’s hard. I’m sure there will be something like that give it like kicking it in the air to your stick there will be something.
“I think people realize guys don’t do it to show off. I think they’ve just done it all their lives and are used to it and that gives them the best chance of scoring.”
NHL.com Editor-in-Chief Bill Price, columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika, and staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report
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