Zmolek, 23 (4/17/99), served as an alternate captain and collected 21 points (4-17=21), 24 penalty minutes (PIM), two power-play goals (PPG), one shorthanded goal (SHG) and one game-winning goal (GWG) in 36 games this season with Bemidji State University of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). The 6-foot-4, 209-pound native of Rochester, Minn., led the Beavers in blocked shots (64), ranked third in assists, fourth in scoring, T-5th in PPG and was one of two players to net a SHG. The left-shot blueliner recorded a career-high three points (2-1=3) Feb. 25 at St. Thomas, including a power-play goal and a shorthanded goal and recorded six points (1-5=6) in a career-high four-game point streak, Dec. 3-15. He was named CCHA's Defenseman of the Month for December 2022 and Defenseman of the Week on Nov. 14, 2022. Zmolek was also a 2023 Hobey Baker nominee. He registered 46 points (9-37=46) in 126 career games with the Beavers (2019-23) and earned Defenseman of the Week honors (March 8, 2022) during the 2021-22 season, named to the WCHA All-Academic Team following the 2020-21 season and was named an ACHA Division I Krampade All-American Scholar following his freshman season in 2019-20.
Prior to joining Bemidji State, Zmolek recorded 34 points (4-30=34) 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 and played eight seasons in the NHL (1992-2000) with San Jose, Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago.
