Dean, a first round draft pick of the Golden Knights, has suited up for 47 AHL games this season with the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Zach Dean is fixing to live out the lifelong dream of countless athletes when he hits the ice for his National Hockey League debut tonight.
The Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador native is expected to suit up for the St. Louis Blues when they take on the Ottawa Senators, centering a line opposite Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker.
"It was pretty crazy coming in and finding that out this morning," Dean shared with THN's St. Louis Blues correspondent Lou Korac. "Obviously it's not until tomorrow so I get a little time to think about it, but just overall, I'm super pumped and excited."
The gritty forward was the 30th pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. Dean was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights for Ivan Barbashev on February 27th of last year.
He's since gone on to suit up for 47 games with the American League's Springfield Thunderbirds, where he has eight goals and 13 points. He won gold with Team Canada at the World Juniors in 2023, putting up three points in seven games.
Dean, a product of the QMJHL's Gatineau Olympiques, put up 70 points in 50 games in his final season of junior.
Blues interim head coach Drew Bannister shared that the move presents a solid opportunity to give Dean some NHL reps, while putting some fresh legs in the lineup as the team goes all-in on a playoff push.
"From what I know about 'Deaner', he skates well, he plays with a lot of pace," Bannister said. "Where he plays tomorrow night, I think it's going to help our club, but getting fresh legs into the lineup, it's an important game for us. We want to make sure we're rested and ready to go."