George Zajankala

George Zajankala
Date of birth	May 14, 1972
place of birth	Revelstoke , British Columbia , Canada
size	192 cm
Weight	105 kg
position	Left wing
Shot hand	Left
Career stations
1990-1991	Tri-City Americans
1991-1992	Seattle Thunderbirds
1992-1993	Cleveland Lumberjacks
1993-1994	Louisville Icehawks
1994	Hampton Roads Admirals
1994-1995	Knoxville Cherokees
1995-1996	Dayton Bombers
1996-1997	Hockey Canada
1997-1998	Cologne Sharks
1998	Erding jets
1998-1999	Iserlohn Roosters
1999-2001	Cologne Sharks
2001-2003	Hanover Scorpions
2003-2004	Krefeld penguins
2004	Hamburg Freezers
2004-2005	HC Pustertal

George Zajankala (born May 14, 1972 in Revelstoke , British Columbia ) is a former German - Canadian ice hockey and inline hockey player who played 254 games for the Kölner Haie , Hannover Scorpions , Krefeld Pinguine and in the course of his active career between 1990 and 2005 Hamburg Freezers in the German Ice Hockey League on the position of left winger . In North America, the power forward was used in the Minor Leagues International Hockey League , American Hockey League and East Coast Hockey League .

Career

Zajankala played during his junior years between 1990 and 1992 in the Western Hockey League one season each for the Tri-City Americans and Seattle Thunderbirds . With the Thunderbirds, the striker took part in the Memorial Cup as a host at the end of his junior career.

After Zajankala was ignored in the NHL Entry Draft , he moved as a free agent to the North American minor leagues . There he was active between 1992 and 1996 for the Cleveland Lumberjacks in the International Hockey League , the Saint John Flames in the American Hockey League and the Louisville Icehawks , Hampton Roads Admirals , Knoxville Cherokees and Dayton Bombers in the East Coast Hockey League . For the 1996/97 season, the 24-year-old joined the Canadian ice hockey association Hockey Canada , with whose national team he played numerous international tournaments over the course of the season. During these tournaments, in which the offensive player scored 43 points in 52 games , the German Ice Hockey Association became aware of the Power Forward and, due to his German roots, signed Zajankala with a view to the 1997 World Cup in the Finnish capital Helsinki . However, the statutes of the International Ice Hockey Federation prevented the German-Canadian from participating, as he could not show the required number of three completed seasons in the German league system. Zajankala only played four test matches for the German national team .

Nevertheless, the attacker had drawn attention to himself with his achievements and was signed by the Kölner Haien from the German Ice Hockey League before the 1997/98 season . After problems with only two scorer points in 44 missions, the Haie gave the striker to the second division Erding Jets for the following season . Within the league, he moved to the Iserlohn Roosters that same season . For the 1999/2000 game year , Zajankala returned to the Kölner Haien and rose to 21 points in 65 games. In the course of the season he came to his only appearances in the German national jersey at an important international tournament as part of the first qualifying round for the 2002 Winter Olympics .

After another year in Cologne Zajankala changed before the 2001-02 season for Bundesliga rivals Hannover Scorpions . The attacker completed two seasons for the Lower Saxony, before he moved again within the league before the 2003/04 season. Zajankala returned to the Rhineland, but from then on ran for the Krefeld Penguins . In January 2004, he then moved to the Hamburg Freezers until the end of the season . In the summer of 2004, Zajankala finally left the DEL and tried to realize his dream of the National Hockey League as part of the Canadian TV production Making the Cut: Last Man Standing on the broadcaster CBC / Radio-Canada . Ice hockey players could recommend themselves in a kind of casting for an NHL contract. Although he was among the last 68 players, who determined six winners in two weeks. Finally, the season for the now 32-year-old ended but the HC Pustertal in the Italian Serie A . After the season the striker ended his active career.

In addition to his ice hockey engagement, Zajankala played inline hockey in the summer months when there was no play . Between 1993 and 1995 he was active in Roller Hockey International for the Vancouver Voodoo and Oklahoma Coyotes . In 50 missions he collected 104 points scorer.

DEL statistics

	Seasons	Games	Gates	Assists	Points	Penalty minutes
Main round	6th	227	21st	27	48	332
Playoffs	4th	27	1	2	3	38

Web links

• George Zajankala at eliteprospects.com (English)
• George Zajankala at hockeydb.com (English)
• George Zajankala at rodi-db.de