Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Zajac ya fara aikinsa na hockey na kankara tare da Salmon Arm Silverbacks na British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). Daya daga cikin abokan wasansa shi ne Brady Murray, wanda zai taka leda a NHL don Los Angeles Kings, kuma abokin wasansa shi ne dan wasan gaba na Calgary Flames Kris Chucko. A kakar wasa ta biyu tare da Salmon Arm, Zajac ya jagoranci tawagar a raga, taimakawa da maki, kuma ya gama na biyu a cikin League a cikin bayanan biyu na karshe. A ƙarshen kakar, an kira shi MVP na BCHL's Interior Division, kuma ya buga a BCHL All-Star Game. Wasansa ya jawo hankali, kuma an yi hasashen cewa zai iya zama zagaye na farko na zagaye a cikin NHL Entry Draft na 2004. Hasashen ya zama daidai, kamar yadda New Jersey Devils za su dauke shi tare da 20th overall. The Devils sun yi musayar don samun Zajac, wanda "yana nufin abubuwa da yawa" a gare shi, amma ba abin mamaki bane, kamar yadda Iblis suka bincika shi fiye da kowace ƙungiya. Zajac ya zaɓi yin wasan hockey na kwaleji don Jami'ar North Dakota maimakon babban hockey na matasa a cikin Canadian Hockey League (CHL), saboda yana son ilimi ban da wasan hockey. Babban manajan kungiyar ta Devils Lou Lamoriello ya yi tsokaci cewa za a samu gurbi ga Zajac a jerin 'yan wasan North Dakota saboda Devils suna kiran dan wasan gaba Zach Parise, wanda aka zaba
shekarar da ta gabata, don buga wasan hockey na kwararru.