Spend any amount of time watching Olen Zellweger on a sheet of ice and one would find it difficult not to be thoroughly electrified. The blend of a flawless, powerful stride, four-way mobility, lightning-quick hands, and a heavy shot off a sharp release will surely widen the eyes of any in attendance when Zellweger touches the ice.
Following back-to-back seasons that earned him WHL Defenseman of the Year honors in 2021-22 and 2022-23, with the latter also earning him CHL Defenseman of the Year honors, Zellweger made his AHL and NHL debuts in 2023-24, flashing the elite skills that have fans daydreaming of the possibilities to come for the explosive, young defenseman in Anaheim.
Zellweger played the first 34 games of his rookie season with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, scoring eight goals and 17 assists, enough to earn him an AHL All-Star appearance. When asked to evaluate the early part of the season for himself, Zellweger said it was “just ok.”
“I was definitely having a lot of highs and lows throughout that time,” Zellweger told The Hockey News’ Adam Proteau.
Though he didn’t make the Ducks’ opening night roster for the 2023-24 season, his determination and dedication to his craft wouldn’t keep him in the AHL for long. While his offensive abilities were undeniable, there were some question marks surrounding the limitations of his defensive game.
Zellweger isn’t blessed with ideal height or length for a modern NHL defenseman, standing at 5-foot-9. He’s aware of that particular limitation and counteracts it as best he can by adding as much mass and strength as possible. He’s currently listed at 182 pounds.
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Adding mass was one area he needed to work on. The other was a firmer grasp of what was expected of him on the defensive side of the puck. Due to the system the Ducks and Gulls run and his physical stature, Zellweger needs to display perfect angling and engagement skills while defending one-on-one. His skating will help him recover, but only to a certain extent.
“He’s a real coachable kid,” Ducks head coach Gred Cronin said. “I think we all weren’t sure what he was going to be at training camp because of his lack of length and size. But his heart is huge and he’s tremendously tenacious and I know he knew and I think (Gulls head coach Matt (McIlvane) and his staff did a great job educating him on the importance of staying between the attacker and the net. Because if he gets on the wrong side of people, he doesn’t have the length to recover pucks.”
Zellweger is one of the more driven players one can find, consistently refining his skills, and is the last Ducks player off the ice after practices. He’s often kicked off the ice by zambonis and rink employees.
Including a one-game stint in the 2022 AHL playoffs, Zellweger scored five points in his first four career AHL games. He scored 25 points in his first 34 games in the AHL in 2023-24, earning him his All-Star appearance before his first recall to the NHL.
He played four games for the Ducks at the end of January, tallying a point and averaging roughly 16 minutes per game.
He added elements of dynamism in the offensive zone and transition the Ducks were lacking to that point in the season. He opened lanes by moving his feet, opening his hips with the puck on his stick and teammates were forced to shift or switch positions, often finding themselves earning more dangerous opportunities.
Zellweger was reassigned for the AHL All-Star Game and played the month of February in the AHL with the mindset of returning to the NHL as soon as possible. He scored 12 points in 10 games with the Gulls in his second stint, was recalled to the Ducks, and hasn’t looked back.
“I was just really hungry and determined to be my best and get called back up,” he said. “I really found confidence in my game.”
He earned his recall and finished the season with eight points in his final 22 games, averaging nearly 20 minutes per game while continuing to make adjustments, adding layers to his offensive repertoire, and polishing his defensive fundamentals.
He represented Canada at the 2024 IIHF Word Championship as their seventh defenseman, averaging only eight minutes in his ten games, but managed to notch five assists in that time.
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Zellweger primarily played his rookie season in the NHL on the right side of veteran defenseman Cam Fowler. It’s unclear what role he’ll assume moving forward with the Ducks, but it’s abundantly clear he’s ready and willing to accept any challenge the coaching staff may throw at him in 2024-25.
The coaching staff and organization will rely on the 20-year-old more in his second season and their demand from him will increase. It will pale in comparison to what he demands of himself, however.
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