ANAHEIM, Calif. — Trevor Zegras doesn’t see it, now that he calls Philadelphia his NHL home and has his career back on an upward track with the Flyers, but there are still the jerseys with his name on the back that pop up among the crowds that attend games at Honda Center.
Both versions, too. No. 46 and No. 11. And given the kind of excitement he brought the Anaheim Ducks during a dark time for the franchise and the many fans he won over with his outgoing personality and extroverted game, there should be more for him to spot in the crowd when he returns for the first time Wednesday night.
“I mean, they were so good to me,” Zegras said Tuesday following a Flyers practice in preparation for when he takes on his former team. “Like so good to me. Gave me so much confidence, and they made it so fun to come and play in front of them at the Honda Center. They did such a good job with bringing the energy for the team. It’ll be definitely good to see them, for sure.
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“They were awesome to me. From the moment I got there in 2019, when I got drafted to obviously last summer. It’s really cool. It’s awesome to hear. I had a lot of love for them, too.”
Much has been written about why the Ducks traded Zegras and about the return — or lack of enough, as many contended — that brought an end to an eventful, memorable and unsatisfying six years in the organization. The unbridled promise, the array of highlight-reel plays, the injuries and the eventual marginalization of his place in its future.
What doesn’t get as much attention is the relationship between Zegras and the first NHL fan base he won over. The one that makes this second meeting against Anaheim different than the one in Philadelphia on Jan. 6, the first since the Ducks dealt him last June for center Ryan Poehling and a 2025 second-round pick (Michigan State freshman Eric Nilson) and a 2026 fourth-round selection.
That game was an irresistible chance to make a statement. Zegras did that by scoring twice in a 5-2 Flyers victory, and he punctuated his first one-time strike by mimicking a phone hang-up in his celebration, a thinly veiled shot at Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek and how quick the call was when Verbeek notified him of the trade.
That was an executive having executed a decision he arrived at after two difficult injury-riddled seasons from Zegras when his performance was well off the form he showed as a Calder Trophy runner-up and future Anaheim star. To Zegras, his exit had nothing to do with fans who remained in his corner even when he didn’t build upon his thrill-packed rookie season. This game, he said, isn’t like the other, which was “more of an emotional type of situation.”
“I think it’ll be just cooler to be back,” he said. “Like it’ll be weird like playing on the other bench and like warming up on the other side. Even though we played them last time, it was a little strange, but I feel like so much time has gone by now that it’s more like it will be a cool experience than chip on my shoulder, I guess.
“The guys in that locker room are so awesome and so amazing. Obviously, I still keep in touch with them. It’ll be like a motivating game, but I think it’ll kind of be a cooler experience than anything else.”
There aren’t ill feelings in the Ducks’ dressing room over what constituted a breakup that seemingly needed to happen. Verbeek insisted Zegras was a core-type player when asked about that, but his moves ran counter, starting from a three-year bridge extension they arrived at in 2023 following challenging negotiations, to the addition of Chris Kreider, the emergence of Cutter Gauthier and the presence of Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish atop their center chart, which squeezed Zegras out of a prime top-six role.
Zegras and his lively demeanor and attitude rubbed off on his teammates. And if that rubbed them the wrong way, they weren’t saying it Tuesday.
“I can’t say enough good things about him,” said Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson, who was eager to have dinner with his fellow 2021 World Juniors gold medalist. “He’s a great guy, a great teammate. Awesome to have in the locker room, and a hell of a player at the same time. I had a great time playing with him.
“We’ve played together a few times throughout our careers, and it was tough to see him go. He was really well-liked in the locker room, but that’s part of the business. Excited to see him, excited to have him back in the building. I’m sure he’s going to get a warm welcome.”
Zegras has 22 goals and 54 points in 66 games for the Flyers; only Travis Konecny has more goals, assists and points on the team. While his struggles in the faceoff circle have been one reason Philadelphia coach Rick Tocchet has shuffled him between center and left wing, Zegras is in position to match the consecutive 60-point seasons he had with Anaheim.
Trevor Zegras scored 23 goals in each of his first two full seasons with the Ducks. With 22 goals this season, he is poised to surpass that threshold and establish a career high. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
The following two seasons under a more defense-oriented coach in Greg Cronin and a broken ankle, combined with knee and groin issues, stunted his rise. Zegras said he spoke with new Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville one or two times following his May hiring but also figured the die had been cast on the oncoming end.
“I think he was tremendous for us all the time,” defenseman Jackson LaCombe said. “He just had to learn different things, and we all kind of did the same thing. We had to grow together. It just happens. Like you see this year, he’s just doing so well again. It’s great to see.
“There’s ups and downs, and that’s sport sometimes. But he’s doing such a good job this year.”
Both sides have moved on. Both sides have found prosperity. The Flyers will likely fall short of the postseason for the sixth consecutive year, but the signs are promising that they’ll keep Zegras, an impending restricted free agent, with a long-term commitment. Meanwhile, the Ducks have been very happy with Poehling. The 27-year-old has been very effective as a defensive center and lead penalty killer, rewarded for his work with a four-year, $15 million extension this month.
Anaheim is in position to snap its seven-year playoff drought. Zegras won’t be part of it, but he was a beneficiary. He has fervently embraced the City of Brotherly Love, and the Flyers fans are starting to make him one of their own.
“I mean, you can’t go back and change things,” he said. “You can just, I guess, learn from them and grow from them. I think I’m a different hockey player and person for having gone through that stuff that I went through. I don’t know if I would necessarily change it.
“I’m in an unbelievable spot with unbelievable guys, and I love Philadelphia and everything that it has to offer. Living in the city, we have amazing fans and everything. So, I guess it’s kind of cool to have both experiences and learn from it all.”
Tocchet realizes Zegras is no ordinary 60-point forward. He knows his forward’s appeal goes beyond what he does on the ice.
“He signs autographs or he’s making hospital visits,” the first-year Flyers coach said. “It’s just not about hockey. It’s everything. That’s why I think he’s a popular guy. Plus, he’s a great kid.
“I’ve played with those guys, where they do more for the game. Like he does a lot for the game. And it’s OK to be a little bit flashy and enjoy the game just as long as it doesn’t hurt your game. And I think his game has gotten better and better, especially this year.”
Perhaps a last bit of closure on the Anaheim era for Zegras will be found Wednesday night. It will be exactly five years since Jamie Drysdale and his since-reunited teammate scored their first goals only 2:29 apart in an Anaheim home victory over the then-Arizona Coyotes. The top-10 draft picks were a breath of fresh air in a dreary COVID season played in mostly fanless arenas and represented hope for a Ducks franchise going through a dark period.
The Ducks had gone as far as beacons Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry could take them and needed new focal points. That didn’t happen for Drysdale and Zegras, who were sent to the Flyers in separate deals almost 18 months apart. Carlsson became the guy for Verbeek when Zegras wasn’t going to be that for him. But that won’t stop the flow of fond memories for a unique player in Ducks history at a unique time.
“I mean, you spend however many years in the same spot, you’re going to build relationships, connections, familiarity,” Drysdale said. “He was beloved. And as he should be. Awesome guy, awesome player.”