Jeff Zatkoff grew up wanting nothing more than to one day play professional hockey as a goaltender in the NHL.  As an impressionable young kid, he would cheer for his hometown Detroit Red Wings, and although one might imagine he would idolize a Red Wings legend like Chris Osgood, who played 14 seasons for Detroit, it was neither Osgood nor a Detroit Red Wing who inspired Zatkoff to lace up between the pipes.  Instead, it was a Red Wings rival who was the reason Zatkoff fell in love with the position.

“I remember watching Felix Potvin on Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday night for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  It was his look and style of play that made me convince my Mom to buy me the identical equipment setup to ‘Felix the Cat’,” said Zatkoff, the 29-year old goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings who has since carved out his own goaltending legacy.

Growing up in Michigan, Zatkoff was never overly exposed to the Ontario Hockey League, but rather he followed the University of Michigan, and hoped to one-day play for them.  Although that never came to be, it was a future connection to the Detroit Red Wings who recruited him to play college hockey for the University of Miami. “Jeff Blashill, who was the Assistant Coach at Miami at the time recruited me to play for them.  The plan was to originally join as a freshman in 2008, but they needed a goalie last minute so I signed as a true freshman right out of high school in 2005.”  It was a bold step for Zatkoff, who committed to the University before ever having stepped foot on campus.  He never looked back.

Zatkoff thrived in each of the three years he attended Miami. He was able to live with his best friend and now current Los Angeles teammate Alec Martinez.  While Zatkoff managed his academics as an Accounting Major, his play in the crease never faltered.  “I never loved school, but I was able to complete all but four classes of my Accounting major.  One day, I will fulfill the promise I made to my parents and obtain my Accounting Degree.”

While attending the University of Miami, Zatkoff was drafted 74^th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.  Although he was excited to be selected by the Kings, Zatkoff was faced with the choice to either continue his college career, or turn pro.  He, along with the Kings organization, decided it would be best to continue playing for Miami under the guarantee that he see plenty of action in the crease to further develop his game.

During his final year in the collegiate rank, Zatkoff posted the best numbers of any goalie in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. With a .933 save percentage and 1.72 goals against average in 36 games, there is no doubt that Miami’s success that season could be partially attributed toward his play.  “Personally I thought my time at Miami was a success although I’m still bitter about losing three consecutive seasons to Boston College in the NCAA Tournament.”

Following the team’s third loss to Boston College, Zatkoff believed he had proved everything he needed to do at the College level and focused on transitioning to the professional level although he knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

Going from a small college town in Ohio to the West Coast in California wasn’t the only adjustment he would have to make.  The quality of the game at the pro level, including speed and overall skill had increased; and he was subsequently assigned to begin his pro career with the Ontario Reign of the ECHL, two leagues below the National Hockey League.  “At first I wasn’t thrilled about going to the ECHL, but looking back it was the best route for my development.  I worked hard to gradually climb my way up the ladder.  Learning how to become a professional comes with adversity, and there can be a real mental challenge between success and failure.”

Zatkoff’s hard work paid off as the next year he was promoted to the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs.  The awards and accolades then began to accumulate.  On two separate occasions, Zatkoff was awarded the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award, presented to the goaltenders with the lowest goals against average in the AHL during the regular season.  Zatkoff describes the award as a team accomplishment, arguing that the players in front of him have as much to do about the lowest goals against average as he does. The award speaks nothing but volumes about the quality of goaltending Zatkoff has put forth during his AHL career.

Ahead of the 2012-13 season, Zatkoff signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, and would be competing with Marc-Andre Fleury and Tomas Vokoun for playing time in the Pittsburgh crease.  Zatkoff would be named the Penguins backup goalie after Vokoun was sidelined with a blood clot. “I had some mixed emotions because of the obvious unfortunate health scare Vokoun underwent. But at the same time, the competition in goal is so high; sometimes you will take any break, in whatever way it may come.  You just have to be ready for any situation.” 

For Zatkoff, like many goalies, having the confidence of your teammates, coaches and management means you can play without worrying about your abilities and just focus on the game at hand.  If you tell that to a goalie who allowed six goals in their National Hockey League debut, they might disagree. “It didn’t matter what happened, the Penguins organization believed I’d be an NHL goalie and they were willing to stay with me.” 

That’s exactly what Ray Shero, former General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, texted Zatkoff following the six goals he gave up against the Florida Panthers.  Turns out, Shero had perfect reason to be confident in Zatkoff, as he picked up his first NHL win in his third game, a 3-0 shutout over the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 2^nd, 2013.  “I am forever grateful to Ray Shero to send that message to me and I hope he knows how much that meant.  It’s something I will never forget.”

Having that confidence was something Zatkoff needed heading into the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.  He hadn’t started an NHL game since February 20^th, but quickly things changed after Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury both fell victim to injuries.  Zatkoff was called-upon to answer the bell for the Penguins in their playoff opener against the New York Rangers.  “Staying ready for two months wasn’t the easiest task to prepare for, but I pride myself on my work ethic and confidence in my abilities should the opportunity ever arise, which it did.”  Zatkoff backstopped the Penguins to a crucial 5-2 victory in Game 1.  The win was especially important for Zatkoff who became a hero, with fans chanting his name at the conclusion of the game.

Game 1 was Zatkoff’s first and only win in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but he was able to maintain a good spirit in backing up a returning Matt Murray throughout the first, and majority of the second round.  To teammates, Zatkoff is a team-first character guy.  “Whether I’m in the crease, on the bench, or in the press box, I have to help keep the atmosphere light and do whatever I can to help our team win.”

The Penguins went on to clinch the Stanley Cup in Game 6 of the Finals with a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks.  “The run we made is something that will stick with me forever and to be part of that and hoist the Stanley Cup over my head was so special.”

Although he loved his teammates and the relationships that were forged, with both Murray and Fleury set to return to the Penguins this season, Zatkoff knew he would have to move on to another organization to continue his dream of playing in the NHL on a full-time basis.  On July 1^st, 2016, the first day of free agency, Zatkoff promptly signed a two-year contract with the team that drafted him in 2006, the Los Angeles Kings.  A decade later, Zatkoff heads back to a familiar place where he has a friend and former roommate in Alec Martinez, and reunites with his old goalie coach, Bill Ranford, which was ultimately the deciding factor behind the move back to the Kings organization. 

Zatkoff knows that Bill respects his ability and knows how to make him a better goalie, as he has done with Kings star, Jonathan Quick.  “I certainly wont be able to play the same way Quicky does. I wasn’t born with that flexibility and genetics, but I’ll be able to support him on and off the ice, and when it’s my turn to step in, I will give the Kings my best effort to get some wins with every game I play.”

When asked if he had any prior interaction with the Professional Hockey Player’s Association (PHPA), the union that represents AHL and ECHL players, Zatkoff was quick to note the significance of the PHPA and the important role they play in hockey.  “I’ve had support from the PHPA from building a 401k to utilizing our medical benefits.  Players, especially the younger guys, don’t realize how well the union looks after them.  They have a lot of great programs and partnerships in place, an unbelievable staff, and help players in their preparation for life after hockey.”

Zatkoff is currently in Los Angeles at the Kings’ training camp and is looking to start the season in better shape than ever.  When he does play in a regular season NHL game for the Kings, he’ll be following in the footsteps of his idol Felix Potvin, who also played for the Kings from 2000 – 2003.  Whether he is equipped in matching gear is another story.