Peter Zezel Peter Zezel ( in Serbian : Пeтap Жежељj , " Petar Zezelj " ) ( b . April 22nd 1965 in Toronto , Ontario , Canada ) is a former professional centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1984 to 1999 for the Philadelphia Flyers , the St . Louis Blues , the Washington Capitals , the Toronto Maple Leafs , the Dallas Stars , the New Jersey Devils and the Vancouver Canucks . 41st pick overall of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers , Zezel broke into the Flyers ' lineup in 1984 and made an immediate impact , finishing 5th scorer among the rookie s as a 19 years old in 1985 with 61 points ; he established a since broken team record for the most assists by a rookie with 46 . Zezel and the young Flyers team ( only Mark Howe was older than 27 years old ; 8 of the regulars were under 22 ) surprised by reaching the Stanley Cup Final , only to lose to the Edmonton Oilers . After a 54 - point sophomore campaign , Zezel would have his finest year in 1986 - 87 , registering career highs of 33 goals and 72 points ( despite missing 9 games to injury ) while continuing to impress with his mature all - around game . That spring , he would again help the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals , registering 13 points before the team was again bested by the Oilers . Although he continued to put up solid numbers , the Flyers would deal Zezel to the St . Louis Blues midway through the 1988 - 89 in exchange for Mike Bullard . He would play some of the best hockey of his career for the Blues , going on a scoring tear to finish the season with a career high 49 assists and 70 points . In the playoffs that year , he would lead the Blues with 6 goals and 12 points in just 10 games . In 1989 - 90 , he would have another fine season , posting 25 goals and 72 points . However , in 1990 St . Louis dealt him to the Washington Capitals for Geoff Courtnall . His stay in Washington would be brief , though , as he appeared in only 20 games before being dealt to his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in a deal for Al Iafrate . He would finish the 1990 - 91 season with 40 points in just 52 games due to injury . In 1991 - 92 , he recorded 49 points in 64 games in another year hamped by the injury bug . The hiring of Pat Burns as the Maple Leafs ' head coach in 1992 would represent a turning point in Zezel ' s career . While he has previously always been given a great deal of offensive responsibility , the defensive - minded Burns employed Zezel almost exclusively as a checking line center , and his numbers plummeted . Additionally , he continued to be plagued by injuries , missing half the 1993 - 94 season with an ongoing back problems that had bothered him for several years . However , when healthy he was still an effective player , and helped Toronto reach the Western Conference Finals in both 1993 and 1994 . In the summer of 1994 , Zezel was awarded to the Dallas Stars as compensation for the Leafs ' signing of free agent Mike Craig . His one season in Dallas would prove to be a disappointment , as he was limited to just 30 games and 11 points by a knee injury . For 1995 - 96 , he was signed for another stint by the St . Louis Blues and his old coach Mike Keenan . Dealt to the New Jersey Devils in 1997 , his career would hit a low point during the 1997 - 98 campaign when he was sent to the minors for the first time in his career . However , he performed well in the American Hockey League , showing that he still had a scoring touch with 50 points in 35 games for the Albany River Rats . He was rescued from the minors by Keenan , now the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks . For the first time in several years , he was given a chance to contribute offensively alongside star winger Alexander Mogilny , and he responded with 17 points in 25 games . Zezel ' s career would end controversially at the trade deadline late in the 1998 - 99 season . Zezel ' s niece Jilliann was terminally ill with cancer in Toronto , and Zezel requested a trade from the Canucks ( who were far out of the playoff race ) to an Eastern Conference team so he could be closer to his family . Instead , Vancouver General Manager Brian Burke dealt him to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks , the furthest stop from Toronto in the league . Zezel promptly retired and returned home , and Canuck management were heavily criticised by a sympathetic media and public for the callous way he was treated . In 2001 , Zezel was almost killed by the rare blood disorder hemolytic anemia , but has made a full recovery . The disease however resurfaced in 2009 and , this time , killed him , at age 44 .