Defenseman Joins from Reading Royals
October 30, 2023
Lehigh Valley, PA – Defenseman Will Zmolek has been reassigned by the Philadelphia Flyers to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms from the Reading Royals.
Zmolek, 23, has played in Reading for five games this season. Last year, he joined Lehigh Valley at the end of the season and played in three games with the Phantoms after signing a one-year NHL contract with the Flyers on March 8, 2023.
Zmolek served as an alternate captain and collected 21 points on four goals and 17 assists in 36 games this season with Bemidji State University of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) in a season in which he was also a Hobey Baker Award nominee. The 6-foot-4, 209-pound native of Rochester, Minn., led the Beavers in blocked shots (64) and ranked third in assists and fourth in scoring. He registered 9-37-46 points in 126 career games with the Beavers (2019-23). Prior to joining Bemidji State, Zmolek scored 4-30-34 points in 121 career games with Cedar Rapids (2017-19) of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
His father, Doug Zmolek, was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars in the first round (seventh overall) of the 1989 NHL Draft out of the University of Minnesota. Doug Zmolek played 467 games over eight seasons in the NHL (1992-2000) with San Jose, Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago accumulating 905 PIM. Will’s older brother, Riese Zmolek, plays for the Florida Everblades in the ECHL and has played 22 AHL games with the Iowa Wild and Rochester Americans.
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are back in action on Wednesday night at the Hershey Bears and will return to PPL Center on Friday night against the Hartford Wolf Pack on Swiftie Takeover Night.
UPCOMING
Wednesday, November 1 (7:00) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Hershey Bears
Friday, November 3 (7:05) – Hartford Wolf Pack at Lehigh Valley Phantoms – SWIFTIE Takeover Night!
Saturday, November 4 (7:05) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Springfield Thunderbirds
