The list of NHL players from Omaha is short and sweet. There are only four names on it.
Omaha, the largest city in Nebraska, is not a hockey hotbed, and neither is the Cornhusker State overall. It’s all about football in midwestern USA, which makes Jed Ortmeyer a pioneer.
Ortmeyer became the first Omaha native to reach the NHL during the 2003-04 season. The undrafted right winger went on to have a successful 11-year career that saw stints in the NHL with the Rangers, Nashville Predators, and Minnesota Wild; the forward appeared in just shy of 750 professional games between the AHL and NHL, recording 200 points.
Ortmeyer is currently the Director of Player Development with the New York Rangers, a position he’s held since 2017. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to working with young players.
During TCS Live, Ortmeyer took part in a one-on-one sit down interview with Aaron Wilbur, Founder of The Coaches Site, to discuss everything from his unlikely hockey beginnings and sports family, to why he uses a box system for managing players and teams, and the crucial importance of communication.
Like any good relationship, it’s all about communication.
“The biggest thing we emphasize with our staff is that we don’t want any surprises. If somebody is going through something, we want them to trust us and let us know so we can help them through that. No surprises is a really big thing for me and making sure we’re really staying on top of these kids because they’re young and are going through life.”
Tickets to TCS Live 2023, taking place June 22-24 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor are ON SALE NOW! Click below for details.
More on Ortmeyer:
- The 44-year-old spent four years at the University of Michigan and was team captain during his junior and senior seasons.
- He spent two seasons with the Omaha Lancers (1997-99), helping the Lancers win the Clark Cup in the 1997-98. Ortmeyer was a part of the Lancers inaugural Hall of Fame Class in October of 2015.
- He was the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee for the New York Rangers in 2007, for his dedication to the game.
- He scored his first NHL goal on November 25, 2003, against Nikolai Khabibulin of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- More content on The Coaches Site:
Jed Ortmeyer
Jed Ortmeyer has served as the Director of Player Development with the New York Rangers since 2017.
Ortmeyer’s playing career included 11 year in professional hockey that saw stints in the NHL with the Rangers, Nashville Predators, and Minnesota Wild. The first Omaha native to reach the NHL, the winger appeared in just shy of 750 professional games between the AHL and NHL, recording 200 points.
Prior to his extensive professional career, Ortmeyer spent four years at the University of Michigan. During his junior and senior seasons the Omaha native was named captain for the Wolverines.
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