{{short description|Canadian ice hockey player}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | alt = | image = File:Greg Zanon.jpg | image_size = 280px | caption = Zanon with the Colorado Avalanche in 2013 | played_for = Nashville Predators<br>Minnesota Wild<br>Boston Bruins<br>Colorado Avalanche | position = Defence | shoots = Left | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 211 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|6|5|mf=y}} | birth_place = Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada | draft = 156th overall | draft_year = 2000 | draft_team = Ottawa Senators | career_start = 2003 | career_end = 2015 }} '''Gregory M. Zanon''' (born June 5, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played almost 500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). Current head coach of the Stillwater Boys Varsity Hockey team in Minnesota.
==Playing career== Zanon played four seasons, from 1999 to 2003, for the University of Nebraska at Omaha in the CCHA and was named to the CCHA First All-Star Team in 2001.<ref name = "award">{{cite web |url=http://www.augenblick.org/chha/ccha_all.html|title=All CCHA Teams | publisher =NCAA | date = 2009-03-20 | access-date = 2009-11-10}}</ref> Zanon was drafted by the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the fifth round, 156th overall, in the 2000 NHL entry draft.
Unsigned by the Senators, Zanon played three seasons for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL), an affiliate of the Nashville Predators. It was not until the 2005–06 season that he finally broke into the NHL, when he played four games for the Predators. Zanon rose in the NHL as a top player in the blocked shots statistic. He had 189 blocked shots in the 2007–08 NHL season.<ref>{{cite magazine| url = http://www.rotowire.com/hockey/player.htm?id=2499; | title = Greg Zanon Stats | magazine = The Hockey News | date = 2009-10-01 | access-date = 2009-10-01}}</ref>
On July 1, 2009, Zanon signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Wild.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wild.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=486065|title=Wild agree terms with Greg Zanon | publisher =Minnesota Wild | date = 2009-07-01 | access-date = 2010-04-11}}</ref> His first season with the Wild in 2009–10 was largely successful, while proving a reliable physical force he also registered a career high 13 assists and 15 points in 81 games.
In the last year of his contract with the Wild in the 2011–12 season, Zanon fell out of favour and was relegated as a healthy scratch in seven games.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/140608853.html | title = Zanon traded to Boston Bruins for Kampfer | publisher = Minnesota Star Tribune | date = 2012-02-27 | access-date = 2012-02-27}}</ref> He appeared in only 39 contests before he was dealt at the trade deadline to the Boston Bruins for Steven Kampfer, on February 27, 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=619330 |title=Reports: Bruins deal for Rolston, Mottau, Zanon | publisher =NHL.com | date = 2012-02-27 | access-date = 2012-02-27}}</ref>
[[File:GregZanonBruins.jpg|right|thumb|Zanon during the 2011–12 NHL season as a member of the Bruins]]
On July 1, 2012, Zanon signed as a free agent to a two-year deal worth $4.5 million with the Colorado Avalanche.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/07/01/colorado-avalanche-sign-greg-zanon-to-two-year-deal/ | title = Avalanche sign Greg Zanon to two-year deal | work = CBS Sports | date = 2012-07-01 | access-date = 2012-07-01}}</ref> In the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, Zanon made his Avalanche debut, recording an assist in an opening night defeat to the Minnesota Wild on January 19, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://avalanche.nhl.com/club/recap.htm?id=2012020012 | title = Avalanche comeback falls short to Wild | publisher = Colorado Avalanche | date = 2013-01-19 | access-date = 2013-01-19 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130125064728/http://avalanche.nhl.com/club/recap.htm?id=2012020012 | archive-date = 2013-01-25 }}</ref> As a fixture on the Avalanche defense, Zanon was unable to replicate his earlier puck-clearing career form; however, he finished the season to lead the team with 122 blocked shots in 44 games.
On July 3, 2013, the Avalanche placed Zanon, alongside Matt Hunwick, on waivers.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_23594194/avs-need-trim-roster-before-making-any-moves | title = Avs look to lighten roster as NHL's free agency period looms | newspaper = Denver Post | date = 2013-07-03 | access-date = 2013-07-05}}</ref> Upon clearing waivers, the Avalanche then exercised the option to buy out the remaining year of his contract on July 4, 2013.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_23601618/greg-zanon-contract-bought-out-by-colorado-avalanche | title = Greg Zanon's contract bought out by Avalanche on eve of free agency | newspaper = Denver Post | date = 2013-07-04 | access-date = 2013-07-04}}</ref> As a result of the buyout, the Avalanche paid Zanon $1.5 million (two-thirds of his remaining salary) and he became an unrestricted free agent.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2013/07/04/greg-zanon-colorado-avalanche-contract-buyout/14001/ | title = Greg Zanon bought out from contract with Avalanche | newspaper = Denver Post | date = 2013-07-04 | access-date = 2013-07-04}}</ref> Unable to attract an NHL offer as a free agent, Zanon signed a professional try-out contract with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. As an alternate captain for the Rampage, Zanon returned to the AHL for the first time since 2007.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://sarampage.com/team/news/index.html?article_id=2411 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140725233553/http://sarampage.com/team/news/index.html?article_id=2411 | url-status = usurped | archive-date = July 25, 2014 | title = Greg Rallo named captain of the Rampage | publisher = San Antonio Rampage | date = 2013-10-03 | access-date = 2013-10-03 }}</ref>
On July 8, 2014, Zanon was signed as a free agent by the Florida Panthers of the NHL to a one-year, two-way contract.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://panthers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=725426 | title = Olson and Zanon agree to one-year, two-way contracts | publisher = Florida Panthers | date = 2014-07-08 | access-date = 2014-07-08}}</ref> He returned to the Panthers' AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. As team captain, Zanon appeared in 74 games and contributed offensively with his highest points total in 10 years with 23. At the conclusion of the 2014–15 season, Zanon ended his professional career after 12 seasons.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.omaha.com/money/after-the-trophy-hunt-the-job-search-omaha-company-helps/article_e6794e29-d29d-51a6-b27b-c2c460a27069.html | title = After the trophy hunt, the job search | website = omaha.com | date = 2016-05-26 | access-date = 2016-05-26}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 1996–97 | Victoria Salsa | BCHL | 53 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 124 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1997–98 | Victoria Salsa | BCHL | 59 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 108 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 |- | 1998–99 | South Surrey Eagles | BCHL | 59 | 17 | 54 | 71 | 154 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 22 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1999–2000 | University of Nebraska Omaha | CCHA | 42 | 3 | 26 | 29 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2000–01 | University of Nebraska Omaha | CCHA | 39 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2001–02 | University of Nebraska Omaha | CCHA | 41 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2002–03 | University of Nebraska Omaha | CCHA | 32 | 6 | 19 | 25 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2003–04 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 62 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 59 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 31 |- | 2004–05 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 80 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 59 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2005–06 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 71 | 8 | 27 | 35 | 55 | 21 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 24 |- | 2005–06 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2006–07 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2006–07 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 66 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2007–08 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 78 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |- | 2008–09 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 82 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2009–10 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 81 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2010–11 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 82 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2011–12 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 39 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2011–12 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2012–13 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 44 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2013–14 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 24 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2014–15 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 74 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 42 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | AHL totals ! 313 ! 17 ! 85 ! 102 ! 249 ! 53 ! 3 ! 14 ! 17 ! 69 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 493 ! 12 ! 50 ! 62 ! 230 ! 18 ! 0 ! 5 ! 5 ! 6 |}
==Awards and honours== {| class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year ! |- | All-CCHA Rookie Team | 1999–00 | |- | CCHA All-Tournament Team | 2000 | <ref name = media>{{cite news|title=2012-13 CCHA Media Guide|url=http://issuu.com/cchahockey/docs/2012-13_ccha_media_guide_final_2a_compressed#|publisher=ISSUU.com|access-date=2014-04-23}}</ref> |- | All-CCHA First Team | 2000–01 | <ref name = "award"/> |- | CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman | 2000–01 | |- | AHCA West Second-Team All-American | 2000–01 | |- | All-CCHA Second Team | 2001–02 | |- | AHCA West Second-Team All-American | 2001–02 | |- |}
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{icehockeystats}} {{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | before = Jeff Jillson | title = CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman| years = 2000-01| after = John-Michael Liles}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zanon, Greg}} Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Boston Bruins players Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen Category:Colorado Avalanche players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Category:Milwaukee Admirals players Category:Minnesota Wild players Category:Nashville Predators players Category:Omaha Mavericks men's ice hockey players Category:Ottawa Senators draft picks Category:San Antonio Rampage players Category:Ice hockey people from Burnaby Category:Victoria Salsa players Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen