Liam Greentree, Jared Woolley advance to Round 2 of OHL Playoffs + Round 1 CHL Recap

Two LA Kings prospects – forward Liam Greentree and defenseman Jared Woolley – have advanced to the second round of the OHL playoffs, set to begin on Thursday, April 10.

Meanwhile, three Kings prospects saw their junior seasons come to an end, as goaltender Carter George and defenseman Matthew Mania wrapped things up in the OHL, while forward Koehn Ziemmer saw his WHL career come to a close with Prince George in a heartbreaking, Game 7 defeat.

A full recap of all five players and their opening-round performances below.

OHL (4 Players)
Four Kings prospects entered the 2024-25 OHL playoffs and after one round, two players remain. With the higher seeds winning in all three matchups that the four players were involved in.

Liam Greentree (#2 Windsor Spitfires) vs. #7 Soo Greyhounds: Windsor Spitfires 4-1 Series WIN
Tied for the OHL’s lead in scoring after Round 1 alongside his linemate Ilya Protas, Liam Greentree, captain of the Windsor Spitfires and the 26th overall pick in last year’s draft, was sensational in the five games against the #7 seeded Soo Greyhounds. Racking up 15 points (7-8-15) and earning the first star of the game recognition in three of their four wins, Greentree now sets his sights on the #3 seeded Kitchener Rangers. Separated by four points in the standings, the Rangers actually enter the second-round matchup having had more points in the regular season, but it’s the Spitfires with home ice advantage due to winning their division. Dating back to the regular season, the Spitfires went 2-1-1 against the Rangers with one win coming at home and one on the road. With all of the success that Greentree has had this season, Kitchener has held the star forward in check for the most part relatively speaking. In the four games this season, Greentree has five points (3-2-5), which is actually low for him despite still being over a point-per-game. Will that continue? Find out come game Game 1 between the clubs on April 10th at 4:05 PM PST in Windsor.

Carter George (#8 Owen Sound Attack) vs. Jared Woolley (#1 London Knights): London Knights 4-0 Series WIN
It was a quick series between the top-seeded London Knights and the heavy underdogs, the Owen Sound Attack, as the favorites wrapped up this best-of-seven duel in just four games. After having helped squeeze his team into the playoffs with his superb play down the stretch of the regular season, goaltender and 2024 second-round pick of the Kings Carter George and his Owen Sound Attack were just overmatched in this clash. Starting all four games, George was peppered with high-danger chances each and every game, facing an average of 43.25 shots per game. Despite the sweep, it’s not all bad news for George as the 18-year-old Thunder Bay, Ontario native has since joined the Ontario Reign on an ATO and will be available to see time in between the pipes prior to the conclusion of the AHL regular season.

Not having forgot about the winner of this series, Jared Woolley played a strong role in his team’s success. Contributing a pair of goals and one helper across the four games, Woolley, the 6-foot-5, 207-pound defender continues to be a factor on both ends of the ice. The physical blueliner recently signed his entry-level contract with the Kings, which will likely slide to the start of the 2026-27 season. Woolley and the #1 seeded Knights now head into Round 2 set to face the #5 seed Erie Otters, who upset the #4 seeded Saginaw Spirit in five games. Woolley and the Knights lead the head-to-head matchup 4-2-0 during the regular season. Game 1 between the two clubs will take place Thursday April 10th in London at 4:00 PM PST.

Matthew Mania (#6 Flint Firebirds) vs. #3 Kitchener Rangers: Kitchener Rangers 4-1 Series WIN
It was a shorter playoff run than Matthew Mania and the Flint Firebirds had hoped for heading into the postseason. After earning points in three of their four meetings against the Kitchener Rangers in regular-season play, the lower seeded Firebirds were ousted in just five games in Round 1. Struggling to find the back of the net in the series, Flint scored just eight goals in the five games. The good news is Mania was one of the five goalscorers. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound, fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft notched one point in the five postseason games and closes the 2024-25 chapter having led his team’s blue in scoring during the regular season with 45 points (7-38-45).

Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images

WHL (1 player)
The Kings had just one participant in the WHL postseason – forward Koehn Ziemmer – who returned to the WHL for one final go-around in Prince George. That season, which saw him exceed 35 goals and 70 points, came to a close in a narrow, first-round defeat.

Koehn Ziemmer (#4 Prince George Cougars) vs. #5 Portland Winterhawks — Portland Winterhawks 4-3 Series WIN p
Koehn Ziemmer’s season came to an end earlier this week when he and the Prince George Cougars lost a tight Game 7 at home. Ziemmer had a solid series notching seven points (3-4=7) in the seven games but was held scoreless in the winner-take-all Game 7. With the first-round playoff exit, the 20-year-old Ziemmer’s WHL career has officially come to an end. Spanning across six seasons, Ziemmer totaled 252 points (128-124-252) in 244 career games. Having already signed his entry-level contract with the Kings in the fall of 2023, the 6-foot-1, 203-pound offensively talented power forward’s next stop will be in sunny Southern California. How soon? That’s to be determined. But he is eligible to sign an ATO with the Ontario Reign this spring and his entry-level contract will kick in for the 2025-26 season.

Liam Greentree Round 2 Schedule – Windsor vs. Kitchener
Game 1 – Thursday, April 10 @ 4:05 PM Pacific
Game 2 – Saturday, April 12 @ 4:05 PM Pacific
Game 3 – Monday, April 14 @ 4:00 PM Pacific
Game 4 – Wednesday, April 16 @ 4:00 PM Pacific
Game 5* – Friday, April 18 @ 4:05 PM Pacific
Game 6* – Sunday, April 20 @ 4:00 PM Pacific
Game 7* – Tuesday, April 22 @ 4:05 PM Pacific

Jared Woolley Round 2 Schedule – London vs. Erie
Game 1 – Thursday, April 10 @ 4:00 PM Pacific
Game 2 – Saturday, April 12 @ 4:00 PM Pacific
Game 3 – Tuesday, April 15 @ 4:00 PM Pacific
Game 4 – Thursday, April 17 @ 4:00 PM Pacific
Game 5* – Friday, April 18 @ 4:00 PM Pacific
Game 6* – Sunday, April 20 @ 4:00 PM Pacific
Game 7* – Tuesday, April 22 @ 4:00 PM Pacific