Crystal structures were obtained for the 3′(C),2-linked pyrazolylpyridines 2H-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindazole (1) and 1-(4″-ethoxycarbonylphenyl)-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindazole (2), and for the ZnII complex of the methyl ester analog of 2, (Zn(3)Cl2). With 2 found in the anti rotameric conformation, ligand distortion was assessed in the syn forms found in 1 (treated as a H+ complex), Zn(3)Cl2 and [Ru(bpy)(2)2](PF6)2. Several differences were noted from similar analyses on structures for representative ZnII and RuII complexes of bipyridine or 1,10-phenanthroline, for complexes of other 3′(C),2-linked 2-(pyrazol-3-yl) pyridines and for complexes of isomeric 1′(N′),2-linked 2-(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridines. A notable finding is that bpy and the N′,2-linked pyrazolylpyridines lose planarity upon complex formation due to steric congestion between the rings, whereas 1 and complexed 2 or 3 remain coplanar, a difference attributable to differences in the bond lengths and angles at the binding locus. Comparisons between pyrazolylpyridine linkage isomers additionally revealed that the metal binding is at more ideal angles with the C-linked ligands and the bond length distortions occur mostly within the pyrazole ring, whereas the pyridine ring suffers more in the N-linked ligands.