Jed Ortmeyer (born September 3, 1978) is an American former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
winger who played in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) with the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
,
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
,
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
and
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...
. After his retirement he was inducted into the Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. He is currently serving as the Director of Player Development with the New York Rangers.
Playing career
Amateur
Ortmeyer played
junior hockey
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
with the
Omaha Lancers
The Omaha Lancers are a Tier I junior ice hockey team and are members of the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Founded in 1986, the Lancers play at the Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Ralston, Nebraska. Previou ...
of the
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictl ...
(USHL) for two seasons. He finished his first season with the Lancers, the 1997–98 season, third on the team in scoring with 48
points in 54 games.
During his second season with the Lancers, the 1998–99 season, he led the team in
goals
A goal is an objective that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.
Goal may also refer to:
Sport
* Goal (sports), a method of scoring in many sports, or the physical structure or area where scoring occurs
** Goals, the goal frame in ...
with 23 and points with 59.
During Ortmeyer's two-year stint with the Lancers, he played with future
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
ers
Duvie Westcott
Druval "Duvie" Westcott (born October 30, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who last played for the Hamburg Freezers of the ''Deutsche Eishockey Liga'' (German Ice Hockey League). Westcott played his whole National Hoc ...
and
Ryan Malone
Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979) nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, ...
.
After two years with the team, he left to begin his
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
college hockey career.
From 1999 through 2003, Ortmeyer played under coach
Red Berenson
Gordon Arthur "Red, The Red Baron" Berenson (born December 8, 1939) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team from 1984 to 2017. Berenson was inducted into Canada's Sports ...
with the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
Wolverines
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscu ...
, in the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previous incarnation, which the curr ...
(CCHA). While with Michigan, Ortmeyer's teammates included future NHL players
Mike Comrie
Michael William Comrie (born September 11, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. During his 13-year National Hockey League (NHL) career he played with the Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Ottawa Senators ...
,
Jeff Jillson,
Andy Hilbert
Andrew John Hilbert (born February 6, 1981) is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders and the Minnesota Wild ...
,
Mike Cammalleri
Michael Anthony Cammalleri (born June 8, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for five different teams. He was selected in the second round, 49th overall, by the Los ...
,
Mike Komisarek
Michael Komisarek (born January 19, 1982) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who spent his career with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career A ...
,
Jeff Tambellini
Jeff Tambellini (born April 13, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger and current Director of Player Development for the Seattle Kraken of the NHL. Originally selected 27th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2003 NHL Ent ...
, and fellow
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
prospect
Al Montoya
Álvaro Montoya (born February 13, 1985) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for parts of nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Arizona Coyotes, New York Islanders, Winnipeg Jets, Flori ...
.
In his second year with the Wolverines, Ortmeyer tore his
anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments (also cruciform ligaments) are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee joint and th ...
(ACL) and missed the last half of the season.
The following year, after fully recovering, he was named
team captain
In team sport, captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. In eithe ...
and enjoyed his most productive college hockey season with a 39-point campaign in his third year.
Professional
Undrafted by an NHL team, Ortmeyer was signed by the New York Rangers on May 10, 2003.
During the
2003–04 NHL season
The 2003–04 NHL season was the 87th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup champions were the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the best of seven series four games to three against the Calgary Flames.
For the fourth time in ...
, Ortmeyer split time between the Rangers and their
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
(AHL) affiliate, the
Hartford Wolf Pack. He made his Rangers' debut on November 15, 2003 against the
New Jersey Devils.
He then scored his first NHL goal on November 25 against
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Alexandrovich Khabibulin (; rus, Николай Александрович Хабибулин, p=xəbʲɪˈbulʲɪn, born January 13, 1973) is a Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Known by the nickname "The Bulin Wall", h ...
of the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
.
He went on to finish the season with 2 goals and 4 assists with the Rangers.
Due to the
2004–05 NHL lockout, Ortmeyer spent the entirety of the following season with the Wolf Pack. He returned to the Rangers full-time in the
2005–06 NHL season
The 2005–06 NHL season was the 89th season of operation (88th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). This season succeeded the 2004–05 season which had all of its scheduled games canceled due to a labor dispute with the Natio ...
, playing on a line with
Dominic Moore
Benjamin Dominic Moore (born August 3, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He most recently played for the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL), and has played nearly 900 National Hockey League (NHL) games. Initially draft ...
and
Ryan Hollweg
Ryan Alexander Hollweg (born April 23, 1983) is a former American-Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He was playing his last season with HC Škoda Plzeň in the Czech Extraliga (Czech).
Playing career
As the son of a Brazilian father ...
, which was known as the "
HMO Line".
Former Rangers
Head Coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
Tom Renney
Thomas Renney (born March 1, 1955) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach and executive. He served as the chief executive officer of Hockey Canada from 2014 to 2022, and was previously an associate coach with the National Hockey League's Detroit ...
reflected upon the "HMO Line", saying, "They were high-octane energy and in your face and just played hard two-way Hockey."
Ortmeyer also played on the Rangers'
penalty kill
Short-handed is a term used in ice hockey and several related sports, including water polo, and refers to having fewer skaters (players) on the ice during play, as a result of a penalty. The player removed from play serves the penalty in the pen ...
unit.
During the 2006 off-season, the "HMO Line" was broken up when
Dominic Moore
Benjamin Dominic Moore (born August 3, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He most recently played for the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL), and has played nearly 900 National Hockey League (NHL) games. Initially draft ...
was traded to the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
.
During that same off-season, Ortmeyer was sidelined indefinitely on August 14, 2006, after he was diagnosed with a
pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of an artery in the lungs by a substance that has moved from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream ( embolism). Symptoms of a PE may include shortness of breath, chest pain particularly upon breathin ...
.
On January 2, 2007, Ortmeyer returned to the Rangers line-up after a conditioning stint with the Wolf Pack, playing 5:35 over 9
shifts.
On January 13, in his sixth game since returning, he scored on a
shorthanded
Short-handed is a term used in ice hockey and several related sports, including water polo, and refers to having fewer skaters (players) on the ice during play, as a result of a penalty. The player removed from play serves the penalty in the pe ...
penalty shot
A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
against the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
to assure a 3–1 Rangers victory.
On January 29, 2007, Ortmeyer posted 3
assists and was named the
first star in another game against the Bruins in Boston.
Having made a full recovery, Ortmeyer was, by the vote of Rangers fans, awarded the
2006-07 season Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, as "the player that goes above and beyond the call of duty."
Ortmeyer previously won the award for the
2003-04 season.
He was also the Rangers' 2007 nominee to win the
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. It is named after Bill Masterton, the only player in NHL ...
for his dedication to the game, evident in his comeback.
Becoming a free agent in the 2007 off-season, Ortmeyer signed a two-year contract with the
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
on July 2.
Playing in his first season with the Predators, Ortmeyer tore his
ACL for the second time in his career on February 23, 2008, and missed the remainder of the
2007–08 season.
He had surgery to repair his knee, but due to inactivity from the surgery he suffered from blood clots in the leg and missed the first two months of the
2008–09 season.
On December 3, 2008, Ortmeyer was placed on waivers by the Predators.
After clearing, he was assigned to the
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena. They are affiliated with the NHL's Nashvil ...
of the AHL.
Ortmeyer signed a one-year deal with the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
on July 16, 2009.
On September 27, 2010, Ortmeyer accepted an invitation to the
New York Islanders training camp on a
Professional Tryout (PTO).
He was released on October 3.
He then played on PTOs with the
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. The Rampage was primarily owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment throughout the team's existence. In 2020, the franchise was sold ...
and
Houston Aeros of the AHL before signing with the NHL's
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...
on January 4, 2011.
The next day, the Wild assigned him to the Aeros, their AHL affiliate.
Ortmeyer spent the rest of 2011 and 2012, spanning over two seasons, being shuttled between the Wild and the Aeros.
A Free Agent during the
NHL Lockout
The NHL lockout may refer to any of the four labour actions in the history of the National Hockey League:
* The 1992 NHL strike, which postponed 30 games of the 1991–92 season
* The 1994–95 NHL lockout, which cancelled many of the games of ...
, Ortmeyer belatedly signed with the
Missouri Mavericks
The Kansas City Mavericks are an ice hockey team in the ECHL. Founded in 2009 as the Missouri Mavericks of the Central Hockey League, CHL, the team plays in Independence, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, at the Cable Dahmer Arena.
H ...
of the
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which opera ...
midway through the
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
season on January 25, 2013.
After only two games with the Mavericks, Ortmeyer returned to the
AHL, signing a contract for
the remainder of the year with the
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. The Rampage was primarily owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment throughout the team's existence. In 2020, the franchise was sold ...
on January 31, 2013.
Personal life
Ortmeyer's brother, Jake Ortmeyer, is a retired professional hockey player who was the head coach for the Omaha AAA Hockey Club Peewee, Bantam, and 16, and 18u teams.
In July 2009, Jed married his high school girlfriend, Maggie Jacobson.
Career statistics
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortmeyer, Jed
1978 births
American men's ice hockey right wingers
Hartford Wolf Pack players
Houston Aeros (1994–2013) players
Living people
Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey players
Milwaukee Admirals players
Minnesota Wild players
Missouri Mavericks players
Nashville Predators players
New York Rangers players
Omaha Lancers players
Sportspeople from Omaha, Nebraska
San Antonio Rampage players
San Jose Sharks players
Ice hockey people from Nebraska
Undrafted National Hockey League players