Being from Montreal indirectly led to a connection with Kris Letang, who has won the Stanley Cup three times as arguably the most decorated defenseman in Penguins history.
Zonnon and Letang share an agent, Philippe Lecavalier. They skate at the same rink.
“I knew him. He probably didn’t know me,” Zonnon said. “I saw him a couple times around the rink. Like I said, we have the same agent, so we skate at the same spot. I remember seeing him a couple times. He probably didn’t remember.”
Letang was well aware of Zonnon on June 27; he and his son, Alex, announced Zonnon’s name at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles after Pittsburgh selected him.
“I got to talk to him a little bit after I got drafted, in the backstage,” Zonnon said. “That was good. I’m excited to see him, hopefully, at training camp.”
That would be Zonnon’s next chance to show he belongs.
“When you see the look in his eye, he’s got that dog mindset,” Penguins vice president of player personnel Wes Clark said. “He’s the type of kid that helps you win hockey games.”
Yet, even with his swag, Zonnon remains realistic.
“Very far away (from the NHL). Very far away. I have a long ways to go,” Zonnon said. “I know I’m going to put in the work. Now that I’m drafted, I have more resources than I’ve ever had before. So I know one day, my goal is going to be in the NHL, but I still have a long ways to go. But I’m going to put in the work and, again, I have a lot of people around me to help me.
“Hopefully, in a couple years, you see me wearing that jersey.”