NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The South Carolina Stingrays, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and AHL’s Hershey Bears, have announced today that defenseman DJ King has signed an ECHL contract for the 2025-26 season.
King comes to the Stingrays after spending the last two seasons with the Indy Fuel. He skated in 87 games, logging 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists), with the Fuel. The 25-year-old also played in six games last year with the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.
“We’re really excited to finally have DJ King in Charleston,” Head Coach Dave Warsofsky said. “He’s a player we’ve been trying to bring here for some time, and we believe he’s going to be a great fit for our group. DJ brings physicality and stability to our defensive core, along with valuable experience from both the ECHL and the AHL. He’s the type of player who plays hard, defends well, and gives us a strong presence on the back end. We’re thrilled to add him to our team this season.”
Along with Indy, King has played for the Norfolk Admirals and Fort Wayne Komets in his ECHL career. The Long Island, NY native has skated in 164 games in the ECHL, tallying 25 points (7 goals, 18 assists). During the 2021-22 season, King spent a stint in the AHL playing in two games with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
“I’m excited to get down to Charleston and meet all the guys,” King said. “I’m excited to play in front of the Stingrays fans. I have only heard great things about the organization. See everyone soon!”
DJ comes from a hockey family. His father, Derek, played 14 seasons in the NHL with the New York Islanders, Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues. Following his playing career, Derek has coached in the NHL, AHL and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was named the Head Coach of the Hershey Bears, the Stingrays AHL affiliate, on August 4.
King begins his fifth season in professional hockey with the Stingrays and joins Reilly Webb, Romain Rodzinski and Connor Moore on South Carolina’s blue line.
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The Stingrays’ 2025-2026 season begins on Saturday, October 18th, with the Home Opener against the Norfolk Admirals at 6:05 p.m. The full schedule can be viewed on our website here.
2025-26 Season ticket plans are on sale now! For more information or to purchase, contact the Stingrays by phone at 843-744-7418 or submit this form.
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