“He’s Quietly Becoming a Great Story For Us”: Koehn Ziemmer’s Hat Trick Highlights His Quiet Development

The adage hard work pays off held true last Saturday for Koehn Ziemmer. The story of the game was defined by another never-say-die mentality that led to the Ontario Reign’s 4-3 comeback win over the Bakersfield Condors, as both teams headed into the All-Star break. However, the headline of the game was Ziemmer’s performance. His natural hat trick not only jump-started Ontario’s come-from-behind win but also led them to victory.

It’s been an up-and-down transition from juniors to pro for Ziemmer. At Prince George (WHL), he played top-six minutes, relied heavily on, was used on the power play, and was one of the best goal-scorers in Prince George’s history. That hasn’t been the case for him this season with the Reign. Ziemmer has had to start from scratch in refining his game, which revolves around his shot.

The one thing that stuck with me after the game was Jared Wright and Andrew Lord’s post-game quotes to the media, both citing the hard work Ziemmer has put in this season, despite not playing every game.

“He’s quietly becoming a great story for us,” Lord said to the media after the game. “Sometimes he gets the raw end of the deal with being in the lineup and time on ice as a young guy, and the depth up front…It’s a good example of staying the course, keeping a good attitude, learning every day, and working with our assistants after practice. He stays ready.”

“That’s a first-year Pro having to go through those lessons, not always being the go-to guy, not getting all the minutes, and not being relied on in every situation. You saw the shots tonight, but his play away from the puck has dramatically improved here over the season. I think that’s a testament to the effort he puts in. Whenever you have a great guy like that with his character, work ethic, and care, you want to see him get rewarded.”

For Wright, he couldn’t help but be happy for his teammate.

“That was one of the more memorable moments with [Ziemmer] getting the hat trick…It was a long time coming for him, and I’m glad to see he was able to do that.”

Ziemmer hasn’t played every game, and when he has, he has mainly played as a fourth-line winger for Ontario. That hasn’t stopped him from trying to absorb information and get better.

“Taking as much in as I can,” Ziemmer said to the media after the game. “I’ve been growing my game a lot, and tonight (Saturday) showed what I am capable of.”

Going from being one of the go-to players in juniors to a reduced role in the AHL is not an easy adjustment. But not playing every day does offer its advantages. There is time for extra work and a different perspective on the game. It can be tough, but Ziemmer is using the days he’s not in the lineup as an opportunity to get extra development and practice with the coaching staff.

“Coming in and out of the lineup has its ups and downs for sure. Sometimes, when you’re not in the lineup, you get that extra development, practice, and work,” he stated.

Saturday’s game was a feel-good moment for a prospect who put in a lot of work to get to that moment. Although it was a high in the brief start of his professional career, Ziemmer knows that continuing to improve his game the rest of the season, especially the little details, will be crucial for his development.

“A complete game,” he said. “Obviously, the foot speed is a big one. The defensive [side of the] game and the little details I can clean up.”

Featured image credit: Megan Sanders/Ontario Reign

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