Koehn Ziemmer

June 2023 – Ziemmer was selected 78th overall by the Kings. Pat Quinn

December 2022 – Last season, Ziemmer formed a strong one-two punch with fellow 2023 draft-eligible Riley Heidt. He led the Cougars with 30 goals in 68 games and finished just one point shy of Heidt for the team’s overall scoring lead. Both players have taken their production to another level so far this season, and Ziemmer has already scored 15 goals and 21 assists through Prince George’s first 25 games of the season.

Ziemmer is a bonafide goal scorer who gets it done in a variety of ways but leans heavily on his high-end release to beat goaltenders from prime scoring areas. His wrister is more deceptive than it is overwhelmingly powerful, and he keeps netminders guessing by changing his release angle. He can roll his wrists over to pull the puck closer to his body and still release it with good velocity, or he can extend his arms and open up a shooting lane on his strong side. Ziemmer shows good anticipation in the offensive zone to find open space and position himself in dangerous scoring areas, where he needs little time to redirect a puck or finish a play with his slick hands in tight. He also uses those hands to manipulate defenders off the rush, and despite average skating ability, can back defenders off by changing speeds in order to open up room to get a shot off. Ziemmer moves the puck efficiently but is definitely more of a finisher than a playmaker, and I have some slight concerns about his ability to create his own looks as he progresses into pro hockey. There is some utility to his game, however, and he can be an effective forechecker with the way he hounds pucks and forces turnovers with his quick stick. He has also shown the ability to use his frame to separate opposing players from pucks and then shield them from it along the wall to sustain offensive zone possessions. There are some areas for Ziemmer to improve in the coming years – most notably his explosiveness and top gear – but he competes hard, has natural goal scoring instincts that are difficult to teach, and a shot that should play at the NHL level. Nearing the midway point of the season, he looks like a surefire first-round pick for the 2023 draft and could develop into an impactful top-six scoring threat before long. Nick Richard