Zezel was selected 41st overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. While he joined the NHL as a skilled offensive player and put up high scoring numbers in his first eight seasons, he spent the second half of his career primarily as a defensive specialist noted for his strong faceoff skills.\n', '

Zezel joined the Flyers\' lineup in the 1984–85 at the age of 19 and made an instant impact, finishing fifth in rookie scoring with 61 points and setting a team record 46 assists by a rookie. He was part of a young Flyer team (with eight regulars under the age of 22, and only Mark Howe over the age of 27) which surprised the hockey world by reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, where they were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers. The Flyers\' head coach at the time was Mike Keenan, who became one of Zezel\'s biggest influences, and who would re-acquire Zezel several times later in their careers.\n', '

After a 54-point sophomore campaign, Zezel had his best year in 1986–87, registering career highs of 33 goals and 72 points (despite missing nine games to injury) while continuing to impress with his mature all-around game. That spring, he would again help the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals, registering 13 points before the team was again bested by the Oilers.\n', '

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