Jon Klemm is a former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for over a decade. He was born on January 8, 1970, in Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada. Klemm began his hockey career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Tri-City Americans in 1986. He played for the Americans for four seasons before being drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in the second round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft.
Klemm made his NHL debut with the Nordiques in the 1991-92 season. He played in 11 games that season and recorded one assist. The following season, Klemm played in 44 games for the Nordiques and scored his first NHL goal. In 1995, the Nordiques relocated to Denver, Colorado, and became the Colorado Avalanche. Klemm was a member of the Avalanche's Stanley Cup championship teams in 1996 and 2001.
Klemm played for the Avalanche until 2002 when he was traded to the Dallas Stars. He played for the Stars for three seasons before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2005. Klemm played for the Blackhawks for two seasons before retiring from professional hockey in 2008.
Throughout his NHL career, Klemm was known for his defensive play and physicality. He was a reliable defenseman who could be counted on to play tough minutes against the opposition's top players. Klemm was also a valuable penalty killer and was often used in that role by his coaches.
In total, Klemm played in 773 NHL games and scored 55 goals and 137 assists for 192 points. He also played in 114 playoff games and scored 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points. Klemm's best offensive season came in 1997-98 when he scored 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points with the Avalanche.
After retiring from professional hockey, Klemm became a coach. He served as an assistant coach for the WHL's Spokane Chiefs from 2008 to 2010 before being named the head coach of the Chiefs in 2010. Klemm led the Chiefs to a WHL championship in 2011 and was named the WHL Coach of the Year that season. He left the Chiefs in 2012 to become an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings. Klemm was a member of the Kings' coaching staff when they won the Stanley Cup in 2014.
In conclusion, Jon Klemm had a successful career as a professional ice hockey player. He played for four different NHL teams and won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche. Klemm was known for his defensive play and physicality and was a valuable penalty killer. After retiring from professional hockey, Klemm became a coach and has had success in that role as well.
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