Zach Urdahl: Built on Sacrifice, Speed, and Staying Grounded

For Zach Urdahl, hockey was never just a pastime. It was part of everyday life long before organized games, packed arenas, or professional aspirations entered the picture. The roots of his game were planted in a backyard rink built by his father and sharpened through endless hours alongside family.

“A lot of it came from my dad growing up,” Urdahl said. “We had a rink in the backyard that he'd make every winter. Me and my brother played all the time and played street hockey in the summers. It was just something that my family and I kind of always did, and it just kind of stuck with me.”

His family's foundation still shapes him today in the sport. Through the highs and frustrations that come with professional hockey, Urdahl continues to lean heavily on the people who helped him fall in love with the game in the first place. “My parents,” he said when asked who has influenced him the most. “I think their support and their influence on me were huge. Something I always think about is that they're always positive towards me and my game. When I can be hard on myself, they always pick me up. So I think that's really important for me.”

Family support became especially valuable during one of the most important turning points in his development. Early in his junior career, Urdahl was forced to adapt to a role far different from what he had been used to. Instead of being handed offensive opportunities, he learned how to become reliable in every situation. “My 1st-year juniors,” Urdahl said when reflecting on the most important learning moment of his career. “It was the 1st time that I ever played more of a depth role, like a 4th line role on a team, and I think I was able to kind of run my game and be able to play anywhere in the lineup. I think that helped me a lot going through my career.”

Urdahl's adaptability has become one of the defining traits of his game. Whether he is asked to provide energy, defensive responsibility, or offensive pressure, Urdahl’s identity remains centered around pace and consistency. “I think I just like to play fast,” he explained. “I use my speed. They drive offense and then just be responsible defensively, being able to kill penalties and just manage pucks.”

Those details matter even more at the professional level, where consistency can determine whether a player stays in the lineup or moves between leagues. Throughout the season, Urdahl has dealt with the challenge of moving between levels while trying to maintain confidence and rhythm. “I think I've been able to keep confidence for most of the year, even though being sent up and down and not knowing where I’ll be for how long,” he said. “It's kind of difficult in that aspect, but I think I've been able to just keep a good mindset and stay confident in my game.”

That mindset is rooted in perspective. Urdahl understands how much time, sacrifice, and discipline it takes to keep chasing a professional hockey career, and that reality continues to fuel him every day. “I think just knowing how many years I’ve put into the game, how many times I have gotten up early and trained or had to sacrifice missing out on something for hockey,” he said. “I think I just kind of put a lot into the game, and at this stage of my life, I just continue to keep going until I can't anymore.”

Inside the locker room, Urdahl also recognizes how important relationships are to a successful team. Chemistry is not built only through systems or talent, but through communication and trust during difficult moments. “Chemistry is really big,” Urdahl said. “But I think having a good relationship with the guys you're playing with is just being able to talk to them on the bench through high emotions. If things aren't going well, it might be a little upsetting, but being able to have a good relationship and being able to hash things out with your linemates and figure out what you can do to improve, I think, is really big.”

Urdahl credits several teammates and veterans for helping him settle in and feel comfortable at both levels this season. “I’d say Matt Quercia here in Wheeling has been a big guy here,” Urdahl said. “He loves the boys. He loves getting the guys together to do things. I think that's who helped gel our group together, and I think it helped me get comfortable with a lot of the guys here early on in the year.”

When earning opportunities higher up the ladder in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he found that same support system waiting for him. “Up Wilkes, guys like Zach Gallant and Phil Kemp, they're unreal guys,” Urdahl added. “They do everything they can to include me when I'm new, and I don't know as many guys up there. So I think those guys are really great for just my confidence when I was up in Wilkes.”

Even with hockey consuming much of his life, Urdahl continues to circle back to the same source of motivation: family. Their support has remained constant through every challenge, every road trip, and every uncertain moment. “I think it goes back to my family a lot of the time,” he said. “They're a big, big reason why I do what I do. Their support for me is unbelievable, and I think they ground me and just helped me be the best version of myself.”

As for what comes next, Urdahl’s approach is simple. No grand declarations. No distractions. Just steady progress. “Just continuing to climb up and get better each day,” he said. “Just trying to get a little bit better each day.”

Urdahl is currently on a one-year AHL deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.