The Anaheim Ducks defeated the New York Islanders on Sunday evening to, once again, hit the .500 mark on the 2024-25 season (28-28-7).
Ducks polarizing forward Trevor Zegras notched an assist on what became the game-winning goal, scored at the 14:56 mark of the second period by rookie defenseman Drew Helleson, and nearly scored his fourth career “Michigan” goal just past the halfway mark of the first period.
The Hockey News’ Derek Lee interviewed Zegras after the game, and Zegras was uncharacteristically short with Lee, especially so after a resounding win from his team, answering every question with just a word or two in response.
Lee was critical following Zegras’ first career fight, which came with five seconds remaining in Wednesday night’s critical loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver iced the puck while up by a score of 3-2 when Zegras got into his first career fight against Canucks forward Conor Garland.
After a few seemingly surly responses from Zegras, he confronted Lee, asking him why he didn’t like him fighting in that instance. After a few seconds of Lee explaining his position, Zegras cracked a wide smile and revealed he was simply joking with Lee and that he wasn’t upset. The two then shared a laugh, concluding the postgame interview.
When Trevor Zegras first entered the league, he was embraced for his fun and inventive plays. He was a rare bright spot in the darkest time in the Ducks franchise history. Once the newness wore off, he was criticized for his antics and his seeming disinterest in the defensive end of the ice.
After a dip in production since the start of the 2023-24 season, multiple injuries, and non-stop appearances on national media “trade boards,” Zegras has been criticized for his body language, lack of enthusiasm, and absence from scoresheets.
In the last 36 hours, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek and head coach Greg Cronin have stated their enthusiasm for Zegras’ work ethic and commitment to his evolution into a 200-foot player. The point totals are slowly coming around, as he now has eight points (3-5=8) in 14 games since returning from surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
It’s too natural for NHL fans to embrace animated and enthusiastic personalities like Trevor Zegras before tearing them down when the goal is to grow the sport and reach new audiences. Having more people like Zegras in hockey is how that goal will eventually be accomplished.