Los Angeles Kings Developing Two Goalie Prospects Locally

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

ONTARIO, CA — As young goaltenders Jonathan Quick and Erik Ersberg show promise in handling the goaltending chores for the Los Angeles Kings, and with Jonathan Bernier and Daniel Taylor developing their netminder skills with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings now have two more young goaltending prospects honing their skills right here in Southern California.

Jeff Zatkoff and Linden Rowat are backstopping the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ ECHL affiliate.

Zatkoff, 20, began the season with the Reign and has earned a 16-14-1 record with a 2.94 goals-against average (GAA), a .915 save percentage and one shutout in 34 appearances (1,981 minutes played).

Prior to joining the Reign, Zatkoff played three seasons with the Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).

Last season, Zatkoff earned a 27-8-1 record with a 1.72 GAA, a .933 save percentage and three shutouts. He led the CCHA in goals-against average and save percentage and was ranked second in both categories in the NCAA. He also ranked second in the CCHA in wins and was tied for second nationally.

The 6-1, 180-pound native of Detroit, Michigan was also named to the CCHA All-Tournament Team.

In the 2006-07 season, Zatkoff was 14-8-3 with a 2.26 GAA, a .919 save percentage and one shutout in 26 appearances for the Redhawks. He ranked second in the CCHA in goals-against average and was fifteenth in the NCAA. He also ranked third in the CCHA in save percentage.

Zatkoff also represented the United States at the 2007 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Sweden.

In three seasons with the Redhawks, Zatkoff earned a 55-21-5 record.

Coming out of college hockey, the question about Zatkoff’s game was if he could make the transition from a relatively light schedule in college hockey to playing a lot more games in the pros.

“I think the biggest thing [the Kings] wanted from me—first-year pro, coming from college where you only play Friday and Saturday, twice a week—they wanted me to get adjusted to the pro style and prove that I can play on a consistent basis, night in and night out, not just Friday and Saturday. That’s been the biggest test for me,” said Zatkoff. “The biggest thing is the games, night in, night out, the body getting used to it.”

“You’ve got to be more of a professional,” added Zatkoff. “You can’t get away with eating certain things. You’ve got to make sure you take care of your body, whether it’s stretching or rehab, especially the past couple of weeks—we played four games in five nights in back-to-back weekends. That’s been the biggest adjustment for me so far.”

Zatkoff has carried much of the load for the Reign this season and will now be relied upon even more as the Reign have qualified for the ECHL playoffs.

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