Rob Zepp

Rob Zepp
Zepp in 2024
Born (1981-09-07) September 7, 1981 (age 43)
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for SaiPa
Eisbären Berlin
Philadelphia Flyers
National team  Germany
NHL draft 99th overall, 1999
Atlanta Thrashers
110th overall, 2001
Carolina Hurricanes
Playing career 2001–2015

Robert Zepp (born September 7, 1981) is a Canadian-born German former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 10 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2014–15 season. The rest of his career, which lasted rom 2001 to 2015, was mainly spent in Europe, playing two seasons in the Finnish SM-liiga for SaiPa and seven seasons in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga for Eisbären Berlin. Internationally Zepp, a naturalized German citizen, played for the German national team at three World Championships.

Playing career

Born in Newmarket, Ontario, Zepp played junior hockey for the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). During three standout years with the high-flying Whalers, Zepp was awarded the Dave Pinkney Trophy three years running as a part of the goaltending duo in OHL with the lowest goals against average (GAA). In his first season with the Whalers, Zepp was also awarded the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL Scholastic Player of the Year who best combines high standards of play and academic excellence and the CHL Scholastic Player of the Year Award.

Zepp was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in the fourth round, 99th overall, in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He never signed a contract with the Thrashers and was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in round 4, 110th overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He played from 2001 until 2005 with the Florida Everblades of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) before deciding to play in Europe, joining SaiPa of the Finnish SM-liiga, where he played two seasons. He then joined Eisbären Berlin in 2007.[1]

On July 1, 2014, Zepp returned to North America by signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.[2] On December 21, Zepp made his NHL debut against the Winnipeg Jets at the age of 33.[3] Wearing jersey number 72, he made 25 saves out of 28 shots on goal to lead the Flyers to a 4–3 overtime victory.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1997–98 Newmarket Hurricanes OPJHL 3 — — — — 181 13 0 4.31 — — — — — — — — —
1998–99 Plymouth Whalers OHL 31 19 3 4 — 1662 76 3 2.74 .907 3 1 0 100 10 0 6.00 .815
1999–00 Plymouth Whalers OHL 53 36 11 3 — 3005 119 3 2.38 .903 23 15 8 1374 52 2 2.27 .846
2000–01 Plymouth Whalers OHL 55 34 18 3 — 3246 122 4 2.26 .922 19 14 5 1139 51 2 2.69 .892
2001–02 Florida Everblades ECHL 13 6 5 2 — 739 41 0 3.33 .902 — — — — — — — —
2002–03 Florida Everblades ECHL 41 20 13 7 — 2372 112 3 2.83 .910 — — — — — — — —
2002–03 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 5 1 3 1 — 303 16 1 3.16 .922 — — — — — — — —
2003–04 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 2 0 1 1 — 124 7 0 3.40 .892 — — — — — — — —
2003–04 Florida Everblades ECHL 35 14 13 7 — 2052 101 0 2.95 .921 12 8 3 683 31 1 2.72 .911
2004–05 Florida Everblades ECHL 26 11 10 2 — 1414 63 2 2.67 .910 — — — — — — — —
2005–06 SaiPa FIN 44 18 16 — 9 2501 85 4 2.04 .929 8 4 4 526 20 0 2.28 .913
2006–07 SaiPa FIN 24 8 11 — 4 1278 70 0 3.29 .893 — — — — — — — —
2006–07 SaPKo FIN-2 1 — — — — 60 3 0 3.00 .880 — — — — — — — —
2007–08 Eisbären Berlin DEL 41 28 12 — 0 2447 107 2 2.62 .902 14 10 4 — 34 0 2.36 .909
2008–09 Eisbären Berlin DEL 43 28 15 — 0 2569 108 2 2.52 .916 12 10 2 737 26 2 2.12 .924
2009–10 Eisbären Berlin DEL 50 39 11 — 0 2975 130 5 2.62 .912 5 2 3 293 15 0 3.07 .889
2010–11 Eisbären Berlin DEL 43 24 16 — 0 2493 100 2 2.41 .913 12 9 3 738 32 0 2.60 .911
2011–12 Eisbären Berlin DEL 42 26 14 — 0 2430 95 4 2.35 .921 13 — — — — — 1.69 .941
2012–13 Eisbären Berlin DEL 46 25 21 — 0 2777 127 5 2.74 .921 13 10 3 760 36 0 2.84 .919
2013–14 Eisbären Berlin DEL 38 24 14 — 0 2255 90 1 2.39 .931 3 1 2 185 6 1 1.94 .943
2014–15 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 10 5 2 — 0 520 25 0 2.89 .888 — — — — — — — —
2014–15 Lehigh Valley Phantoms AHL 47 21 20 — 4 2734 122 0 2.68 .917 — — — — — — — —
NHL totals 10 5 2 — 0 520 25 0 2.89 .888 — — — — — — — —

International

Year Team Event GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2010 Germany WC 2 0 2 0 117 3 0 1.54 .957
2013 Germany WC 5 3 2 0 302 9 2 1.79 .941
2013 Germany WC 4 1 3 0 244 13 0 3.20 .856
Senior totals 11 4 5 0 663 25 0 2.26 .920

Awards and honours

Award Year
Ontario Hockey League
Dave Pinkney Trophy 1999, 2000, 2001
Bobby Smith Trophy 1999
CHL Scholastic Player of the Year 1999
Second All-Star Team 2000, 2001

References

  1. ^ "Zepp remains with Polar Bears". Eisbären Berlin (in German). May 4, 2011. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
  2. ^ "Flyers re-sign goaltender Ray Emery". Philadelphia Flyers. July 1, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  3. ^ "Flyers goalie Zepp to make NHL debut against Jets". NHL.com. December 21, 2014. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
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