Update on the Prospects in the CHL

This article will discuss how the prospects in juniors (CHL) are doing so far to close out 2024.

Let’s get started!

Koehn Ziemmer

Age: 20

League: Western Hockey League (WHL)

Team: Prince George Cougars

Position: Center/Wing

Stat line: 22 goals, 12 assists, 34 points, +6 rating in 34 games played

Koehn Ziemmer was eligible to start the year in the AHL but the Kings opted to loan him back to juniors for his final season because there wasn’t room for him to play. The 20-year-old power forward has played well for Prince George, racking up 34 points (22 G, 12 A) in 27 games. Ziemmer, an offensive winger, has played a good portion of the season as their 2C, behind Reilly Heidt, and has won 52.8% of his faceoffs.

He has also been a threat for Prince George’s power play unit, scoring seven goals (leads the team) and recording 12 points (tied for second on the team). Ziemmer will need to work on his skating, a weakness that has been well-known since he was drafted. With a great wrist shot, physicality to his game, and a power play option, Kings fans should enjoy watching him in the AHL next year.

Liam Greentree

Age: 18

League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

Team: Windsor Spitfires

Position: Left/Right wing

Stat line: 24 goals, 32 assists, 56 points, +28 rating in 34 games

Liam Greentree has a lot of upside. With the Kings trading back in the draft, they felt he could still be on the board at pick number 26 and he was. After a 90-point campaign last year, Greentree leads the Windsor Spitfires in goals (24), assists (34) and points (56) this year. His 56 points rank second in scoring and tied for fourth in goals in the OHL. He’s done a bit of everything for Windsor playing on the top line at both right and left wing.

Greentree turns 19 tomorrow. Why is that important? It means he missed the cutoff date by one day to be eligible to play in the AHL next year. So, per the NHL-CHL agreement, it’s the Kings or back to Windsor next year. It’s possible Greentree could be in a similar situation as Brandt Clarke was in 2022, but ultimately I predict he’ll spend the whole season in the OHL and see him in the AHL in 2026.

Matthew Mania

Age: 19

League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

Team: Flint Firebirds

Position: Right-handed defenseman

Stat line: 3 goals, 13 assists, 16 points, +5 rating in 34 games played

Matthew Mania was drafted in the fifth round in 2023 by the Kings. Mania is third in scoring for a defenseman on the Flint Firebirds with 16 points in 34 games. He is also a +5 rating and has played on the top defensive pairing. With the Kings not having as much depth on the right side of the defense as they did three years ago, I could see them signing Mania by the June 1st, 2025 deadline. By the way, isn’t that a cool last name?

Jared Woolley

Age: 18

League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

Team: London Knights

Position: Left-handed defenseman

Stat line: 2 goals, 10 assists, 12 points, +18 rating

Big, physical left-handed defenseman. That’s what Jared Woolley is. The Kings picked him up in the sixth round of this past draft. It was the second straight draft the Kings selected a 6’5″ left-shot defenseman (Jakub Dvorak being the other). Woolley has played top-four minutes for a stacked London Knights team as they look to repeat as OHL champions and compete for the Memorial Cup.

Carter George

Age: 18

League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

Team: Owen Sound Attack

Position: Goalie

Stat line: 4-13-2-3 record, 3.49 GAA, .905 sv% in 23 games played

Goaltending was once a weakness but is now a strength for the Kings in their prospect pool. A Kings fan growing up, Carter George was drafted in the second round this past summer by the Kings and has drawn some comparisons with his style to former Kings netminder Jonathan Quick. George is a better puck-handler than Quick, though. George isn’t tall, measuring 6’1″, but is a damn good goalie.

Don’t let the goals-against average and save percentage fool you. George has played better than his numbers have shown due to poor defensive play from the Owen Sound Attack. George has even stolen games that they shouldn’t have won. He has two shutouts in two games for Team Canada at the U-20 World Juniors.

George will be back in the OHL next season and then it’s most likely AHL in 2026. I know goalies can be voodoo, but I expect George to be the potential number-one goalie for the Kings if everything goes to plan.