With just 12 games remaining in the 2024-25 regular season at the NHL level, the Kings recent hot streak has them closing in on their fourth consecutive playoff berth. With the NHL’s season just weeks away wrapping up, that means leagues across the North America are doing the same. With 10 Kings prospects having made it into their respective postseason’s, here’s everything you need to know about some of the future personnel of Kings hockey.
NCAA (5 PLAYERS)
Beginning here with the NCAA Tournament, selection Sunday came and went four days ago.
As the bracket was revealed on ESPN+, five Kings prospects on four college teams found out where their respective tournaments were going to start and who they would be playing. While no prospects are set to face off against each other in the Regional Semifinals, four of the five Kings prospects are on the same half of the bracket, which could lead to one head-to-head battle in the Regional Finals, one in the Frozen Four and of course the chance of two prospects meeting in the National Championship if the wins keep coming. As to who could meet who? We’ve got you covered below!
Jared Wright and James Reeder (Denver University) vs. Providence University — Friday, 2PM (ESPN+)
Starting at the top of the bracket and working our way down, Jared Wright (2022, 6th Round) and James Reeder (2024, 7th Round) enter the tournament aiming to repeat as National Champions. Wright, Reeder and Denver enter the Regional Semifinals in Manchester, NH - Manchester! - coming off a blown three-goal third period lead in the NCHC Conference Finals that ended with a 2OT at the hands (and pads) of the soon-to-be-mentioned Hampton Slukynsky and the University of Western Michigan. Hoping to take the positives, learn their lessons and put that game behind them, the 29-11-1 sixth-ranked Pioneers will have to get through the 21-10-5 tenth-ranked Friars to begin their quest of a repeat. Wright, a right-handed forward and a junior, enters the tournament with 16 points (8-8-16) this season but his numbers don’t tell the whole story. Looked at as a go-to guy on Denver’s matchup line against their opponents’ best players, Wright is a difference maker often times by putting in the dirty work and using his speed to create havoc. Having won the National championship last season, Wright is one of 16 Pioneers looking for his second ring. As for Reeder, the first-year collegiate athlete has shown promising production. With 20 points (10-10-20) this season, the most among freshmen on the Pioneers, Reeder has bounced back and forth between the second line and Denver’s matchup line with Wright. Standing at 5-foot-10, 168 pounds, Reeder, who will need a few years before turning pro could play a crucial depth scoring role if the second-highest scoring team in the NCAA (4.0 GF/GP) were to make another run at a National Championship. If victorious, Denver would play with winner of the top-seeded Boston College and 20th-ranked Bentley University.
Hampton Slukynsky (#4 Western Michigan University) vs. Minnesota State University — Thursday, 2PM (ESPNU, ESPN+)
Coming off of claiming the starting job and winning the Clark Cup in the USHL last season, Hampton Slukynsky (2023, 4th Round), a Warroad, MN native might just do it again. After splitting starts with his senior goalie teammate throughout the whole regular season, Western Michigan has turned to the sensational, 19-year-old freshman in postseason play. Backstopping a 30-7-1 Mustangs team, Slukynsky is 15-5-1, holds a 2.04 GAA and a .918 SV% entering their Thursday game against 14th-ranked Minnesota St. Mavericks. Looking at the matchup, it very well could be a low scoring game as both Slukynsky and Minnesota St.’s goalie Alex Tracy rank at the top of the charts in save percentage and goals against average. Not catching the best of breaks, while Slukynsky and the fourth-ranked Mustangs are technically the hosts of the Fargo, ND Region, they may have to go through a pair if Minnesota teams to make it to the Frozen Four. If WMU gets past Minnesota State, they’ll face the winner of the Minnesota Gophers, and the Kenny Connors led UMASS Minutemen.
Kenny Connors (UMASS Amherst) vs. University of Minnesota — Thursday, 5:30PM (ESPN2, ESPN+)
After bowing out in the quarterfinals of the ultra-deep Hockey East Conference tournament, Kenny Connors (2022, 4th Round) and the 11th-ranked UMASS Minutemen are one of six Hockey East teams to make it into the 16-team winner-take-all tournament. After speaking with Connors last week, he revealed he’ll be going into the Regional Semifinals battling an injury that causes pain when playing, though he will battle through it. Still able to suit up and play in his normal role, Connors opens the Regional Semifinals in Fargo having notched 28 points (10-18-28) this season. Connors, a 22-year-old left-handed power forward plays with grit and physicality. At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Connors often spends his time around the opposition’s crease causing mayhem. Not just a one-trick pony, Connors plays a full 200-foot game and is just as dependent on the defensive side of the puck as he is in the offensive zone. Connors and Minutemen’s defensive game will be tested against the Gophers as the fifth-ranked team in the nation enters Thursday averaging an NCAA third-best 3.8 GF/GP. Coming from the Hockey East, Connors and UMASS are no stranger to playing the top teams in the nation. In fact, eight of UMASS’s 20 wins this season have come over ranked opponents. Should the Minutemen prevail, a date with either Slukynsky and the #4 WMU or MSU awaits with a chance to return to the Frozen Four for first time since winning the National Championship in 2021.
Jack Hughes (Boston University) vs. Ohio State University — Thursday, 11AM (ESPNU, ESPN+)
Sitting at the bottom of the bracket in the 8 vs. 9 matchup is Jack Hughes (2022, 2nd Round) and his BU Terriers. After playing his first two years of college hockey at Northeastern University, Hughes hit the transfer portal and landed at perennial powerhouse Boston University. Now a senior, Hughes, 21, set a career-high in both assists (15) and points (20) this season, improving his collegiate career numbers to 71 points (22-4971) across his entire career. A two-way center, Hughes, a 6-foot-0, 170-pound lefty enters the tournament as the Terriers second line center. If Hughes and BU prevail, they will play the winner of #2 Michigan State University and the 16th-ranked Cornell University.
OHL (4 players)
Moving North of the border, the Kings have four prospects into the postseason, including one head-to-head battle in the first round. Unlike the NCAA’s postseason format, all of the Kings Canadian prospects are getting ready for a best-of-7 series in both the OHL and WHL.
Liam Greentree (#2 Windsor Spitfires) vs. #7 Soo Greyhounds — Game 1: Thursday, 4:05 PM
Liam Greentree (2024, 1st Round) closed out his regular season the way he started it - on an absolute tear. By reaching the century mark in points and finishing third in the OHL with 119 points (49-70=119), Greentree accomplished one of his two personal goals this regular season and was one tuck away from accomplishing both. The offensive juggernaut also finished the year second in the OHL in shots on goal with 306, averaging out to 4.8 shots on goal per game. Captaining the Windsor Spitfires and leading his team to the #2 seed in the Western Conference, Greentree and the Spitfires will take on the Greyhounds who they won the regular season series against, going 4-1-1. Entering the playoffs having recorded at least a point in 16 of his last 17 games (16-23=39), Greentree has been a factor on both ends of the ice. Leaned on to play in all situations, Greentree’s game has grown to become a trustworthy and consistently impactful defensive player this season. If Greentree and the Spitfires advance, it’ll be a gauntlet of a task to get to the finals as the top three teams in the OHL are all in the Western Conference (#1 London Knights 112 points, #3 Kitchener Rangers 100 points, #2 Windsor Spitfires 96 points)
Carter George (#8 Owen Sound Attack) vs. Jared Woolley (#1 London Knights) — Game 1: Friday, 4:00 PM
The first and only matchup between two Kings prospects in the postseason (so far) will be between goaltender Carter George (2024, 2nd Round) and left-handed defenseman Jared Woolley (2024, 6th Round). George and the Attack entered the final weekend of the regular season needing to win two of their final three games just to qualify and did just that. Now slated to take on the OHL’s best Knights, George will be a busy man. George faced the most shots in the OHL this season, seeing a whopping 1,665 shots, averaging out to 35.4 shots against per game. Out-skilled up front, George will have his hands full with the extremely balanced and deep Knights team.
Speaking of the dangerous and deep Knights, Woolley has done nothing but continue to evolve and progress into an everyday, impact defender. The 6-foot-5, 207-pound lefty ended the regular season with an astonishing +49 plus/minus and totaled 28 points (9-19=18). Playing on a very gifted blue line, Woolley doesn’t get power play time or the heavy minutes when in need of a goal. That said, Woolley has been an offensively capable defenseman when called upon and is a good skater and mover of the puck. Woolley also impacts the game in a meaningful way with his size and physicality. Head-to-head, Woolley and the Knights have won all six meetings, with three of those wins coming in extra time.
Earlier today, Woolley signed his entry-level contract with the Kings.
Matthew Mania (#6 Flint Firebirds) vs. #3 Kitchener Rangers — Game 1: Friday, 4:00 PM
The Kings final Ontario-located prospect in the playoffs is Matthew Mania (2023, 5th Round). In his first year with the Flint Firebirds, Mania is his team’s go-to defenseman, leading his fellow blueliners in points with 45 (7-38-45). Quarterbacking the Firebirds top power-play unit, Mania, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound righty also leads his team in helpers on the man advantage. Mania and his Firebirds are 1-1-2 against the higher seeded Kitchener Rangers as a tight series is expected. Mania was a summer participant at Team USA's World Juniors selection camp and should be a key factor if Flint is able to progress.
WHL (1 player)
Heading west, the Kings have one draft pick out in the WHL playoffs and it’s the contractually-signed Koehn Ziemmer out of Prince George.
Koehn Ziemmer (#4 Prince George Cougars) vs. #5 Portland Winterhawks — Game 1: Friday, 7:00 PM
Ziemmer (2023, 3rd Round), who has played in each of the last six WHL seasons is a part of a quartet of Prince George Cougars that opponents fear. Just over a year removed from a bad ankle injury, it took a bit of time for Ziemmer to find his footing this season. Entering the playoffs hot, Ziemmer closed out the regular season with at least a point in 11 of his last 13 games (8-10-18). At 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, Ziemmer is an offensively gifted shooter and power forward. Built like a bull, Ziemmer is a defenseman’s nightmare when playing his aggressive and in your face game. Earning that home ice advantage in the first round, Ziemmer and the Cougars are 1-2-1 against the Winterhawks, but are 1-0-1 on home ice, where they will play Games 1 and 2.
We'll have continued coverage of Kings prospects as they hope to advance throughout the postseason. All 10 players above get their playoff journeys underway Thursday or Friday, with more to come from several of these prospects as they progress!
