TORONTO: Peter Zezel, who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League with seven different teams, died in hospital on Tuesday. He was 44.

Zezel was admitted to hospital last week for scheduled surgery. For the past 10 years he has battled a rare blood disease, called hemoytic anemia, and survived a scare eight years ago where he was hospitalized in critical condition.

Zezel played 15 NHL seasons with Vancouver, New Jersey, Dallas, Toronto, Washington, St. Louis and Philadelphia.