Peter Zezel was one heck of a member of the Orange and Black in the mid to late-80s. He became a Flyer at the age of 19 and was a member of their 1985 and 1987 Wales Conference Championship teams. In the '87 season, he scored 33 goals, handed out 33 assists and collected 72 points.While his game was pretty good, he is also remembered for his image. The ladies lovvvvvved Zezel. They liked his looks and the whole young persona he brought to the team. In the Flyers 40th Anniversary DVD, Steve Coates quoted Zezel as a " 'Superstar.' " And while Zezel was a great player and team figure, he was also an outstanding human being. During the late-90s his niece was terminally ill with cancer and he wanted to be traded to the East from Vancouver to be close to her in Toronto. But callously, they traded him to Anaheim and thus he decided to retire early. He also ran many hockey and soccer camps. This morning on the 610 WIP Morning Show, Al Morganti, who used to cover hockey for The Philadelphia Inquirer, called Zezel "a good kid."
Sadly, Zezel died of a blood disorder and in fact, this disorder called hemolyptic anemia almost took his life in 2001. Fortunately, he recovered then. Unfortunately, he had complications this time around and went into a coma. Yesterday, he was taken off of life support. During the treatment to try and make him get through this, he had his spleen removed and went through chemotherapy.
Rest in peace Peter Zezel. You will never be forgotten.
