41st pick overall of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, Zezel broke into the Flyers' lineup in 1984 and made an immediate impact, finishing 5th scorer among the rookies as a 19 years old in 1985 with 61 points; he established a since broken team record for the most assists by a rookie with 46. Zezel and the young Flyers team (only Mark Howe was older than 27 years old; 8 of the regulars were under 22) surprised by reaching the Stanley Cup Final, only to lose to the Edmonton Oilers.