Fox 9 Sports Now: Jim Rich catches up with Jason Zucker

MINNEAPOLIS - Jason Zucker was a fan-favorite during his time with the Minnesota Wild, and he’s back in town this week raising money for his Give16 Foundation with the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital.

Zucker and former Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph are hosting the annual Champions for Children golf tournament on Monday at Windsong Farm. Zucker’s foundation helped raise money for a broadcast center at the children’s hospital, where kids can get out of their rooms and act like broadcasters for a few minutes of fun to take their mind off difficult times.

Sunday night on Fox 9 Sports Now, Jim Rich caught up with Zucker to talk about the charity, and life on the ice with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"It’s about using our platform to raise awareness for these amazing causes to try to enhance the lives of the children and families in the hospital," Zucker said.

Drafted by the Wild in 2010, Zucker spent his first nine seasons with the Wild and scored 132 goals in 456 games. Zucker was traded in February of 2020 to the Penguins for Alex Galchenyuk, Calen Addison and a first round pick. In three seasons with the Penguins, Zucker has 23 goals in 94 games.

Zucker has dealt with injuries, playing 41 games last season and 38 in the 2020-21 season. He says the summer for him is about spending time with his family, and focusing on his health for next season.

"For me this is just about getting healthy, kind of refocusing on my training and the rehab side of things and just getting ready for next season. I’m really excited for it," Zucker said.

Watch the video for the full interview with Zucker.