Meet Comets’ Defenseman, D.J. King
Oct 22, 2026Utica, NY – The Comets signed D.J. King to an AHL contract over the summer and earlier this week, we had a chance to chat with the sixth-year pro about his hockey journey.
D.J., short for Derek James, was born on Long Island, but bounced around across North America while growing up. He spent part of his early childhood in Scottsdale, AZ before his family eventually moved north of the border to Toronto.
His mom is from the Long Island town of Northport, NY, while his dad is a native of Hamilton, ON. D.J.’s father, Derek, was a professional hockey player who suited up in 830 career NHL games, the majority of which was with the New York Islanders, but he also played for the Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues. He ended his playing career with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL.
D.J. says his father was one of his main inspirations for getting into hockey, a hero for him growing up and a man he continues to look up to. Although he was young, D.J. remembers the tail end of his father’s playing career in Grand Rapids, but some of his more vivid memories are from Derek’s time as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where D.J. had the privilege of visiting the locker room and even skating with some of the players.
While his father was his main role model, D.J. mentioned that one of his favorite players to watch while growing up was Vincent Lecavalier, who spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning. His favorite team, however, was the New York Islanders, with fond memories of sitting around the TV with his family and watching some of their playoff runs when he was a kid.
D.J. is the oldest of three in the King family, with younger twin brothers, Mac and Owen, who are 18 years old. He mentioned that Mac is currently playing junior hockey in the Chicago area and Owen, formerly a hockey player, is now a freshman at Texas A&M.
While hockey was his main focus, D.J. was a well-rounded athlete as a kid. He played baseball and soccer and got into box lacrosse during the summertime after his family had moved to Toronto. In the winter, much time was spent playing hockey out on the pond and sledding on whatever hills he and his friends could find.
When D.J. was a teenager and with his hockey career progressing, he joined the US National Team Development Program which he says was one of the best experiences of his life. “I made friends there who I stay in touch with to this day, just a great group of guys. We got to travel the world at a young age, going to places like Switzerland and the Czech Republic. And development-wise, it was top notch. They really take care of you there.” D.J. billeted right in Plymouth, MI, for both seasons and also attended high school there.
After going through the National Development Program and playing two years of juniors in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), King began his pro hockey career during the 2021-22 season with the Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL), appearing in 18 games. He also made two AHL appearances that season with his father’s former team, the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Prior to arriving in Utica, King had been a part of eight different teams during his pro career. When asked about some of his various stops along the way, he said playing for the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) and getting to live in Charleston was among his favorites. He played 46 regular-season games with the Stingrays last season as well as 11 playoff games and enjoyed it so much that he decided to stay there for most of the summer after the season had ended.
Although joining a new team and moving to a new city isn’t always easy, King has enjoyed his time in Utica so far. “It’s been great. The guys have been awesome, especially the older guys with Schmel [Ryan Schmelzer] leading the way and bringing the guys together. We have a great locker room and the guys love getting together away from the rink. And the coaches have been great to me as well,” King said.
Outside of hockey, King likes golfing when the weather cooperates and spending time with teammates.
The Comets are back home next Friday at 7 pm when they welcome the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins NBT Bank Arena on Frights & Flights Night. For tickets, please visit uticacomets.com/tickets or call 315-790-9070.