Jed Ortmeyer (born September 3, 1978) is an American former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
winger who played in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) with the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
,
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Divisio ...
,
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
and
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...
. 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 with the
Omaha Lancers
The Omaha Lancers are a Junior ice hockey#Tier I, 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 Ra ...
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 and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...
(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
A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to:
Mathematics
* Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...
in 54 games.
During his second season with the Lancers, the 1998–99 season, he led the team in
goals 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; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
ers
Duvie Westcott and
Ryan Malone.
After two years with the team, he left to begin his
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
college hockey career.
From 1999 through 2003, Ortmeyer played under coach
Red Berenson with the
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
Wolverines, in the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference in the Midwestern United States that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previ ...
(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 Center (ice hockey), player. During his 13-year National Hockey League (NHL) career he played with the Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Co ...
,
Jeff Jillson,
Andy Hilbert,
Mike Cammalleri,
Mike Komisarek,
Jeff Tambellini, and fellow
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
prospect
Al Montoya.
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 ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation. In ...
(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 in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL) affiliate, the
Hartford Wolf Pack
The Hartford Wolf Pack are a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the American Hockey League (AHL), they play their home games at the PeoplesBank Arena. The team was established in 1926 as the Providence Reds. ...
. He made his Rangers' debut on November 15, 2003 against the
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...
.
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. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
.
He went on to finish the season with 2 goals and 4 assists with the Rangers.
Due to the
2004–05 NHL lockout
The 2004–05 NHL lockout was a labor lockout that resulted in the cancellation of the National Hockey League (NHL) season, which would have been its 88th season of play.
The main dispute was the league's desire to implement a salary cap to ...
, 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 Na ...
, playing on a line with
Dominic Moore and
Ryan Hollweg, which was known as the "
HMO Line".
Former Rangers
Head Coach
A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
Tom Renney 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 players on the ice during play, as a result of a penalty. The player removed from play serves the penalty in the penalty box f ...
unit.
During the 2006 off-season, the "HMO Line" was broken up when
Dominic Moore was traded to the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
.
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 pulmonary artery, 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 dyspnea, shortness of breath, chest pain ...
.
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 penalty shot
A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a Goal (sport), 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 k ...
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 (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The 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 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 (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Divisio ...
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 based in Milwaukee. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Nashville Predators. They play their homes games at the UW–Milwaukee Panther ...
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. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
on July 16, 2009.
On September 27, 2010, Ortmeyer accepted an invitation to the
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
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 so ...
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 compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...
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, Ortmeyer belatedly signed with the
Missouri Mavericks
Missouri (''see pronunciation'') is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it borders Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas to the south and Oklahoma, Kansas, a ...
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 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 so ...
on January 31, 2013.
Personal life
Ortmeyer's younger brother, Jake Ortmeyer, is a retired college and professional hockey player who was the head coach for the Omaha AAA Hockey Club Peewee, Bantam, and 16, and 18u teams.
Jake Ortmeyer played college hockey at
Miami (Ohio), at the time a
CCHA conference rival of Jed's Michigan teams, meaning the Ortmeyer brothers faced each other several times in their college careers.
In July 2009, Jed married his high school girlfriend, Maggie Jacobson. They went on to have two children, Tova and Dax Ortmeyer.
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