It’s official, hockey season is finally upon us.
This weekend’s two games at the 2025 Rookie Faceoff event in Irvine are in the books, and Kings prospects put on quite an offensive show both Saturday and Sunday, scoring a combined nine goals across the two contests.
As in years past, this tournament is a good opportunity to get a look at a couple handful of Kings prospects and see what kind of progress they’ve made over the summer. Definitive judgments on players shouldn’t be made based on this singular event, yet it provides a good evaluation tool. Below are three players who stood out with positive contributions.
Carter George:
If somebody walked away from Sunday’s game and wasn’t blown away by George’s performance, they weren’t really watching. LA’s 18-year-old goaltending phenom was stellar in net, backstopping the Kings to a 4-1 victory over the Ducks, routinely bailing out the team in front of him.
I’ll fully admit to falling into the big goalie bias and have my reservations about George because of his size (listed at 6-foot), but it was easy to see why LA’s staff is so high on him.
There was a calmness to George’s game that you can just feel, even without being on the ice. He never looked panicked and had that unbeatable aura to him that top goalies get when they’re on top of their game.
Further, Geroge was positionally sound all game and flashed impressive athleticism when called upon to make desperation saves, including some flashy stops with his glove highlighting an impressive night.
George is set to be one of the OHL’s best goalies this season and should push for the starting spot on Team Canada at the World Junior Championship in December. If games like Sunday become the norm, we could be talking about one of the best goalie prospects in all of hockey.
Koehn Ziemmer:
Ziemmer popped in a few goals for the Kings during this tournament, but it was the way he played off his teammates that stood out — particularly his quick chemistry with top prospect Liam Greentree.
Ziemmer has a lot of tools to like, with legitimate NHL skill and physicality, yet he probably doesn’t project as a play-driver at the next level. Instead, he’ll more likely need to be able to work off his linemates well and make smart decisions off the puck; and that’s exactly what he brought over the weekend.
LA’s top forward selection at the 2023 NHL Draft was great at finding pockets of open ice and participating in quick, one-touch passes with teammates to take advantage of that space created. Already known to have a great shot and capable of finishing chances, Ziemmer showed many of the “boring” elements needed to score and provide offensive support at the next level.
It isn’t a one-to-one comparison, but I was getting Zach Hyman vibes from Ziemmer. While he may not be the guy coaches will rely on to carry a line, he certainly looked like somebody who could complement top players and feast on the chances they create while playing a heavy game off the puck.
We’re not ready to tab him as a future 50-goal scorer like Hyman, but there is a nice player developing here nonetheless.
Kirill Kirsanov:
Kirsanov is a player I was keeping an eye on heading into this tournament, and he did not disappoint.
If forced to use only one word to describe Kirsanov, it would be decisive. He never hesitated to make plays and was quick in his decision-making. A great example of it was his goal on Saturday. The puck was won back to him, and there were no thoughts of dusting the puck off or looking for an unnecessary pass; just get it to the net.
He looked like a player with over 150 professional games under his belt in this tournament, and that should help him immensely as he joins AHL Ontario next, for his first season in North America.
Don’t be surprised if he turns some heads at main camp. Even though Kirsanov won’t push for a spot — as LA’s defensive group is all but set — he might prove to be closer to NHL-ready than many people might initially realize.
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