Captain’s Feature: Florian Zajic
By: Caleb Herrera
On Friday, July 19, 2024, Florian “Flo” Zajic was announced as an alternate captain for UNC Hockey for the 2024-25 season. As a key player in the Tar Heels’ defense, Zajic looks to continue to evolve his game as well as relishing in the competition against fellow rivals.
Hailing from Vienna, Austria, Zajic discovered his passion for hockey at a young age despite his father, a former semi-professional soccer player, wanting young Florian to follow in his footsteps. However, he found himself disliking soccer and his father quickly had to accept that he might not become the next ‘Rohaldinho Soccer Superstar.’ As an only child, Zajic’s parents were determined for him to experience the camaraderie of team sports, putting him on the ice when he was about six years old. Growing up, he idolized the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that gained popularity in Europe during their legendary playoff run, with his two favorites being Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang.
Hockey, with its unique blend of speed, skill and intensity holds a special place in Zajic’s heart, with the competitive nature of the sport being what truly captivates him.
“The competition is what I love most about the sport,” he said. “There aren’t many sports out there where emotions run as high as they do in hockey. It’s fast-paced, physical and emotional. I guess the question is, what’s not to love about hockey? It’s unlike anything else.”
Being a Tar Heel specifically holds profound significance for Zajic, calling it ‘the best part of his young career.’ The combination of a supportive team atmosphere and competitive play while attending a university known for its academic rigor has created the perfect environment for him to thrive in.
“It’s kind of a full package in terms of the academics, the network, students and the campus but you mix that with just an awesome team of fantastic teammates, coupled with some really big games that we’ve had in the last two years, whether it be at PNC arena or our outdoor game at Carter Finley,” he said. “It’s honestly the opportunity of a lifetime and being chosen as an alternate captain again from last year to this year – just a tremendous amount gets me excited to be a part of leading this group of fantastic young men into the battle.”
Playing as a defenseman, Zajic describes his style as ‘two-way’ contributing both offensively and defensively, tallying five goals and a total of 14 points in 25 games last season. He is the type of player that does not shy away from confrontation, using his physicality to contribute in a positive way.
His personal ambitions for this season include increasing his offensive production and reaching more into his skill set to take initiative. With the departure of several seniors last year opening up new opportunities for team growth and chemistry, Zajic aims to help facilitate the transition into a new team dynamic with the newcomers, a process as that will be paramount, especially at the beginning of the season.
Looking ahead, Zajic has his sights specifically set on both the outdoor game against Virginia Tech Ice Hockey in January as well as the match-up against NC State’s ‘IcePack’ inside PNC Arena, which he describes as a ‘tried and true classic,’ but shares an overall excitement for this season as a whole.
“There’s so many good things to look towards this season,” he said. “All the road trips are going to be fun with the guys and there’s going to be a lot of good games and great opponents that we’ll be facing. There’s tremendous work to look forward to.”
