When Bill Zonnon got his first hockey equipment at 5 years old, he told his mother Mathilde that it was the "best day of his life," his mother recalled in an interview this week.
Zonnon's parents, Augustin and Mathilde, were immigrants from Togo, a small country in west Africa, having moved to the Montreal area for college. They weren't hockey fans, but when 5-year-old Zonnon saw P.K. Subban playing for the Canadiens on TV, he was hooked.
Thirteen years later, Zonnon sat with his parents in Los Angeles' Peacock Theater and listened as Alex Letang, backed by his dad Kris, announced Zonnon as the Penguins' second first-round pick, No. 22 overall, in the NHL Draft.
"It was incredible getting drafted by the Penguins," Zonnon said. "They're a team I grew up watching, especially guys like Sidney Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin, and just watching them do their thing."
Zonnon already had a small connection with Letang, having the same agent and both being from the Montreal area. When Zonnon took to the draft stage on Friday and saw Letang, he said he immediately "thanked him for everything," and then the two had a "good conversation" in the back room afterward.
In Zonnon, the Penguins are getting a big, hard-working, playmaking center who they hope can be part of the wave that helps bring the Penguins back to long-term contention.
Zonnon, 18, is a left-handed forward who plays center and both wings and is listed at 6 foot 2 and 190 pounds. He said he sees himself long-term as a center, and Kyle Dubas seems to think so, too.
"The thing that was most exciting to us was that he really thrived when he moved to center," Dubas said. "He was excellent at center, plays in all situations, plays against the other team's best players. ... He was really a driver for his team, and that was for us, the most exciting part of him."
Zonnon's 83 points in 64 games ranked second on the QMJHL's Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and was the most among non-overage players. He ranked seventh in the entire league in scoring, third among draft-eligible players. He scored 28 goals, again second on his team but the lead among non-overage players. Zonnon led the Huskies in goals (8) and points (16) in 13 playoff games.
"Bill was a massive part of a really good team in the in the QMJHL," Dubas said. "And throughout the year, every time you watched him, his production speaks for itself."
While Zonnon acknowledged that he's "good offensively," he thinks his best attributes are his "compete and versatility," and his reliability in his defensive game, too.
Dubas lauded that competitiveness, and Zonnon's size, but also his impressive results at the combine. Zonnon's 16 pull-ups were the most of the class, and three shy of the all-time record since the test was added to the combine a decade ago.
Obviously, players don't perform pull-ups in real games. But Dubas liked what the results said about Zonnon.
"He's obviously someone that's taking that element very seriously," Dubas said of Zonnon's work ethic. "We know he's going to give us everything he has to get to reach his potential."
Zonnon told Dubas exactly that after the Penguins called his name.
"They're going to get everything that I've got," Zonnon said. "I'm someone that works hard every single day. I always want to be better."
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
5:21 am - 06.28.2025DowntownZonnon's 'production speaks for itself'
When Bill Zonnon got his first hockey equipment at 5 years old, he told his mother Mathilde that it was the "best day of his life," his mother recalled in an interview this week.
Zonnon's parents, Augustin and Mathilde, were immigrants from Togo, a small country in west Africa, having moved to the Montreal area for college. They weren't hockey fans, but when 5-year-old Zonnon saw P.K. Subban playing for the Canadiens on TV, he was hooked.
Thirteen years later, Zonnon sat with his parents in Los Angeles' Peacock Theater and listened as Alex Letang, backed by his dad Kris, announced Zonnon as the Penguins' second first-round pick, No. 22 overall, in the NHL Draft.
"It was incredible getting drafted by the Penguins," Zonnon said. "They're a team I grew up watching, especially guys like Sidney Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin, and just watching them do their thing."
Zonnon already had a small connection with Letang, having the same agent and both being from the Montreal area. When Zonnon took to the draft stage on Friday and saw Letang, he said he immediately "thanked him for everything," and then the two had a "good conversation" in the back room afterward.
In Zonnon, the Penguins are getting a big, hard-working, playmaking center who they hope can be part of the wave that helps bring the Penguins back to long-term contention.
Zonnon, 18, is a left-handed forward who plays center and both wings and is listed at 6 foot 2 and 190 pounds. He said he sees himself long-term as a center, and Kyle Dubas seems to think so, too.
"The thing that was most exciting to us was that he really thrived when he moved to center," Dubas said. "He was excellent at center, plays in all situations, plays against the other team's best players. ... He was really a driver for his team, and that was for us, the most exciting part of him."
Zonnon's 83 points in 64 games ranked second on the QMJHL's Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and was the most among non-overage players. He ranked seventh in the entire league in scoring, third among draft-eligible players. He scored 28 goals, again second on his team but the lead among non-overage players. Zonnon led the Huskies in goals (8) and points (16) in 13 playoff games.
"Bill was a massive part of a really good team in the in the QMJHL," Dubas said. "And throughout the year, every time you watched him, his production speaks for itself."
While Zonnon acknowledged that he's "good offensively," he thinks his best attributes are his "compete and versatility," and his reliability in his defensive game, too.
Dubas lauded that competitiveness, and Zonnon's size, but also his impressive results at the combine. Zonnon's 16 pull-ups were the most of the class, and three shy of the all-time record since the test was added to the combine a decade ago.
Obviously, players don't perform pull-ups in real games. But Dubas liked what the results said about Zonnon.
"He's obviously someone that's taking that element very seriously," Dubas said of Zonnon's work ethic. "We know he's going to give us everything he has to get to reach his potential."
Zonnon told Dubas exactly that after the Penguins called his name.
"They're going to get everything that I've got," Zonnon said. "I'm someone that works hard every single day. I always want to be better."
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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