Brodie Ziemer’s path to the Sabres began in Minnesota, with a stop in Amherst

In a way, he became an exhibit of the purpose of the USNTDP.

“We fail,” Fohr said, bluntly. “We fail a lot. We put the kids in situations to fail, to face adversity and to get better.”

‘Don’t let him get the puck’

Even if you’re an NHL draft pick with the Gophers, that means nothing.

Minnesota is one of college hockey’s blue-blood programs, and the failures and successes Ziemer faced with the USNTDP served a purpose when he joined the Gophers ahead of the 2024-25 season.

He didn’t know what to initially expect of the competitive level or the intensity of the Big Ten Conference.

“You’re playing Wisconsin, and they’re coming out at you, they’re trying to just kill you,” Ziemer said. “Every shift, in the first 10 minutes. It’s hard, honestly hard, but you’ve got to adjust to it.

“College kind of helps me because I like to play aggressive, I like to play physical. Those kinds of games get me going.”

Michigan State faced Minnesota four times in 2024-25 – a two-game series Dec. 13-14 in Minneapolis and a two-game series Jan. 24-25 in East Lansing, Mich. Spartans defenseman Patrick Geary, a Hamburg native and a Sabres sixth-round draft pick in 2024, faced Ziemer and the Gophers in all four games (a 3-3 tie, a 5-3 Gophers win, a 9-3 Spartans win and a 3-3 tie).

Geary crafted a quick strategy in facing Ziemer, who scored 12 goals with 11 assists in 38 games last season with the Gophers.

“Don’t let him get the puck,” Geary said. “Just try to be all over him, all in his face, and defend hard. Usually, those guys don’t like to be hit, or get cross-checked, so just play physical against those guys and keep them away from the net.”

Ziemer also comes up with big moments. He helped Team USA win the gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship in January in Ottawa, setting up Teddy Stiga’s game-winning overtime goal in a 4-3 win over Finland for the gold medal. Ziemer scored three goals with four assists in seven games.

“I watched him last year, and he was a big part of that team,” Motzko said. “He showed up in a lot of big moments. It’s the 20-year-olds who shine, in that moment, and that was his time to shine.”

Creating more opportunities

Ziemer participated in his second development camp with the Sabres during the first week of July, and was one of eight forwards, a group that was thinned out when Rochester’s prospects didn’t participate.

Still, Ziemer put his quick right-handed shot on display and at 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds, held his own against defensemen who had a size advantage of at least three inches and 20 pounds. He got a few tips on his preparation, including skating and stride mechanics.

“Getting a little faster in my first couple steps, and that’s something that me and Adam Mair (the Sabres’ director of player development) have been talking about this entire season,” Ziemer said.

He also aims to create more space to set up a shot, which translates into more scoring opportunities, and more opportunities to set up plays.

Ziemer will return to international competition this week, when the World Junior Summer Showcase opens Sunday in Minneapolis. It’s an evaluation tournament that USA Hockey uses to select the roster for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, which will be played Dec. 26-Jan. 5, 2026, in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.