Koehn Ziemmer made his case the way a power forward is supposed to: by getting involved, staying active and finishing chances. After a two-goal performance in Sunday afternoon’s 4-1 Kings win over the Ducks at the Rookie Faceoff, the 21-year-old prospect said the biggest difference from Game 1 to Game 2 was the team’s response.
“I think just the response [itself]. We did a lot of video last night and this morning, just to [see] what we needed to fix, and I thought we went out there and did that. I think it proved throughout the whole game that we were better than we were last night.”
Ziemmer entered the weekend already talking about carrying a chip on his shoulder, and he’s clearly aware of where he stands in the organization. With two years left on his entry-level contract, he’s at a point where the next step matters. Sunday’s performance offered one possible answer.
When asked to sum up his play across the two games, he kept it simple.
“I think I’m just trying to play my game. Going into this tournament, just trying to impress all the staff and all the coaching and everything like that. So just playing my game, going out there and playing hockey and trying to make a good impression.”
That approach comes with experience. After his first full professional season, Ziemmer said the biggest lesson was how much sharper everything has to be once you leave junior.
“It’s a jump, for sure. Everything from skating to passing to shooting, positioning, systems.
It’s a big jump from junior, so I think that’s really helped me for this weekend - just having that and bringing that for the younger guys. That’s sometimes their first rookie tournament, so just trying to lead the way a little bit.”
He said that understanding the pro game helped him use the summer more efficiently, especially when it came to meeting expectations and preparing for camp.
“Yes, just knowing what to expect this year too - what’s expected of you, and being able to kind of replicate that in the summer and bring it into camp.”
Ziemmer also pointed to teammates Connors and Wright as voices helping keep the room loose and energized before Sunday’s game.
“They’re always talking in the room. They’re obviously in the same boat as me, with coming back for another rookie tournament, and yeah, they’re always chatting in the room and kind of getting the guys going.”
With the Kings bringing only 13 forwards for the three games, Ziemmer knows he has a chance to appear in all three, and that changes the way he approaches the week.
“Yeah, it’s good obviously to be able to show yourself a little bit more with an extra game. And you really have to take care of your body between games, a quick three-in-four, so yeah, just kind of preparing for the next one on Tuesday.”
As for how he attacked his offseason work, Ziemmer said the focus was straightforward: get bigger, faster and stronger. For him, the biggest emphasis was speed.
“I think it’s [about getting] bigger, faster, stronger. I know it’s cliché, but for me especially, just getting faster throughout the summer - I think that’s what I really worked on, with a little power skating here and there, and skating quite a bit and lots of cardio. I feel great out there, so yeah, I think it went well this summer.”
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Kings Prospect Liam Lefebvre Just Showed The Edge They Want
A weekend in San Jose gave Liam Lefebvre exactly the kind of early pro test the Kings have been looking for from one of their younger prospects. The 19-year-old stepped into two games and showed a little of everything, including a fight in the first one and a much more noticeable offensive impact in the second, when he scored twice and helped tilt the tone of the night.
Between games, Lefebvre talked about the adjustments the group made, pointing to a tighter approach in its own end and a more assertive mentality when it came to getting pucks on goal. He also noted how much faster the game feels compared with junior hockey, and how valuable it is to learn through the coaching staff and the pace of these early opportunities, even with the bigger questions around how quickly that edge can translate. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Rookies Deliver The Response Fans Needed Against Anaheim
The rookie group gave the Kings exactly the kind of answer they were looking for against Anaheim at the 2026 Rookie Faceoff. Los Angeles rolled to a 4-1 win, with the offense finding its rhythm after a steady opening stretch and the young forwards giving the team a cleaner, sharper look than the scoreboard alone might suggest.
The early damage came from Koehn Ziemmer, who helped set the tone for the Kings, while Liam Lefebvre put the game out of reach with a big third period. Anaheims only response came from Lucas Pettersson, but the finish belonged to Los Angeles and left the Kings with a positive note from a rivalry matchup that mattered for more than just the final score. [Read more 🡒]