Jeff Zatkoff (born June 9, 1987) is an American 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 ...

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...

who is currently an

unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...

who most recently played for the Straubing Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

Playing career

As a youth, Zatkoff played in the 2001

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...

with the Detroit Little Caesars

minor ice hockey Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from c ...

team.

College

Zatkoff was drafted in the third round of the

2006 NHL Entry Draft The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 24, 2006. The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006. The draft was ...

, 74th overall, by the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

after playing collegiately for the Miami University Redhawks. Zatkoff was named CCHA All-Conference Team honorable mention in 2006–07 as a sophomore. He was also named Rookie of the Year in 2005–06 as a freshman for the Redhawks, starting 20 games and helping lead the team to a regular-season CCHA Conference title.

Professional

Los Angeles Kings

On April 10, 2008, Zatkoff signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings. Zatkoff was also signed to an amateur try-out agreement with the

Ontario Reign The Ontario Reign are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Ontario, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team plays ...

on April 11, 2008. He made his professional debut with the Reign, appearing in 37 games during the 2008–09 season. Zatkoff played for the Manchester Monarchs through the 2011–12 season. Jeff Zatkoff 2016-04-28 1

Pittsburgh Penguins

Zatkoff signed a two-year contract with 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 ...

on July 1, 2012. On March 28, 2013, Zatkoff was recalled by Pittsburgh to be a backup for

Tomas Vokoun Tomas may refer to: People * Tomás (given name), a Spanish, Portuguese, and Gaelic given name * Tomas (given name), a Swedish, Dutch, and Lithuanian given name * Tomáš, a Czech and Slovak given name * Tomas (surname), a French and Croatian surna ...

for a game against the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...

due to a neck injury suffered by

Marc-André Fleury Marc-André Fleury (born November 28, 1984) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) first overall by the Pittsbur ...

. Vokoun played the entire game and Zatkoff was returned to Wilkes-Barre the following day when doctors cleared Fleury to return. Zatkoff and teammate Brad Thiessen were awarded with the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award at the conclusion of the

2012–13 AHL season The 2012–13 AHL season was the 77th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 12, 2012 and ended on April 21, 2013. The 2013 Calder Cup playoffs followed the conclusion of the regular season. The Calder Cup was ...

. The Hap Holmes Award is given to the goaltender(s) who play at least 25 games for the team that allows the fewest goals against over the course of the season. Zatkoff was expected to spend the 2013–14 season with the

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the AHL affiliates of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barr ...

. However, a blood clot suffered by Vokoun meant that Zatkoff started the season backing up Pittsburgh starter

. On October 11, 2013, Zatkoff made his NHL debut, making 24 saves in a 6–3 loss to the Florida Panthers. His first NHL victory was a 3–0 shutout of the Blue Jackets in Columbus on November 2, 2013. On April 13, 2016, Zatkoff started Game 1 of the Penguins' first round series against 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 ...

. Regular starter

was out with a concussion and backup Matt Murray was also in concussion protocol. Zatkoff made 35 saves on 37 shots and was named the game's second star, helping the Penguins to a 5–2 win. After a loss in Game 2, Zatkoff was replaced by Murray, who remained in net for the rest of the playoffs despite Fleury's eventual return to the lineup. The Penguins eventually won the Stanley Cup on June 12, 2016 against 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 ...

; the victory earned him a Stanley Cup ring, his name on the Cup and the nickname "Mr. Game One" among teammates and fans.

Return to Los Angeles

On July 1, 2016, Zatkoff ended his tenure with the Penguins, returning to the Kings on a one-year, two-way free agent contract. Installed as the Kings backup for the 2016–17 season, Zatkoff struggled to find form and despite the loss of starting goaltender

Jonathan Quick Jonathan Douglas Quick (born January 21, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Quick was selected in the third round, 72nd overall, by Los Angeles at the 2005 NHL ...

to long-term injury, he was surpassed on the depth chart and assigned to AHL affiliate, the

after 13 games.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Not having played a game past the midpoint of the 2017–18 season, on January 22, 2018, Zatkoff was traded by the Kings to the

Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

in exchange for future considerations. He was immediately assigned to the team's AHL affiliate, the

Cleveland Monsters The Cleveland Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team began play in 2007 as the Lake Erie Monsters and since 2015 has served as the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hock ...

Europe

As a free agent from the Blue Jackets in the following off-season, and with little NHL interest, Zatkoff opted to pursue a European career in signing a one-year contract with

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

club, the Straubing Tigers of the DEL, on July 6, 2018.

International play

Zatkoff represented the United States at the

2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''2007 WJHC'') was the 2007 edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson ...

, held in Sweden, where his team earned a bronze medal.

Personal life

Jeff is the great nephew of

Roger Zatkoff Roger Zatkoff (March 25, 1931 – November 4, 2021) was an American professional football player and businessman. A native of Hamtramck, Michigan, Zatkoff played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1950 to 1952 and was selected ...

, who played in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

for the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. His father, Jeff, was drafted by the Indiana Pacers of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

after playing collegiately at

Eastern Michigan Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...

, and attended high school at

Chippewa Valley High School Chippewa Valley High School is a public, magnet high school located in Clinton Township, Michigan, United States. It serves grades 9–12 for the Chippewa Valley Schools. Demographics The demographic breakdown of the 2,431 students enrolled f ...

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Awards and honors

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zatkoff, Jeff 1987 births American men's ice hockey goaltenders Cleveland Monsters players Ice hockey players from Detroit Living people Los Angeles Kings draft picks Los Angeles Kings players Manchester Monarchs (AHL) players Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey players Ontario Reign (AHL) players Ontario Reign (ECHL) players Pittsburgh Penguins players Sioux City Musketeers players Stanley Cup champions Straubing Tigers players Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players