Las Vegas’ Jason Zucker lights the lamp in NHL playoffs

If you are one of the 10,000 or so puckheads who put down a deposit on Las Vegas NHL tickets and are wondering why you didn’t hear Jason Zucker’s name during much of the “Vegas Wants Hockey” campaign, it’s because he broke his collarbone in February.

The Bonanza High product, the first Las Vegas native (well, close to it anyway — he was born in Newport Beach, Calif., but grew up here) to light the red lamp in the NHL, missed like 30 games after being injured.

But he came back about a month earlier than the trainers said he would, and in his first game back, Zucker scored a goal against Chicago that helped clinch a playoff spot for the Minnesota Wild.

Then on April 16, he tallied the Wild’s first goal of the playoffs against St. Louis.

Check out the video at the bottom of this piece. You can hear Zucker’s reaction after he lights the red lamp:

“Woo-hoo!” YEAH, BABY!” Woo-hoo!

Those same hosannas could have be used to describe the year Jason Zucker was having before he was injured.

He still scored 21 goals — with just five assists, so one supposes he has developed into a bit of sniper rather than a playmaker — and was on pace to score 35 or more, which would have been a nice season, especially for a 23-year-old who grew up not on skates but around palm trees.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ron Kantowski can be reached at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow him on Twitter: @ronkantowski