Iowa Wild signs defenseman D.J. King to PTO
AHL Iowa Wild

Iowa Wild signs defenseman D.J. King to PTO

Published on January 7, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Iowa Wild News Release


DES MOINES, Iowa - Iowa Wild General Manager Matt Hendricks today announced the American Hockey League (AHL) club has signed defenseman D.J. King to a professional try-out contract (PTO).

King, 25 (8/7/2000), has recorded two points (1-1=2), 46 penalty minutes (PIM), and a minus-5 rating in 25 games with the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) during the 2025-26 season. King also recorded an assist in one game with the Hershey Bears this season. The 6-foot-3, 216- pound native of Scottsdale, Ariz., has two points (0-2=2) and four PIM in nine career AHL games with the Bears, Rockford IceHogs (2024-25), and Grand Rapids Griffins (2021-22). King has also posted 27 points (8-19'), 205 PIM, and a minus-28 rating across 189 ECHL games with the Stingrays, Indy Fuel (2023-25), Norfolk Admirals (2022-23), and Fort Wayne Komets (2021-23).

Prior to his professional career, Nelson recorded 24 points (7-17=24), 140 PIM, and a plus-7 rating in 104 OHL games with the Hamilton Bulldogs (2018-19) and Saginaw Spirit (2019-21) and skated for the United States National Team Development Program (2016-18).

King will wear sweater No. 5 with Iowa.

Iowa Wild hockey is presented by Kwik Star. For more information on Iowa Wild hockey, please visit www.iowawild.com. Season tickets for 2026-27 are on sale now. Fans can purchase season tickets for the upcoming season at https://www.iowawild.com/wild-365.

Iowa Wild home games are played at Casey's Center. Iowa Wild games are now streaming on AHLTV on FloHockey. Fans can visit FloHockey.tv now to create a free account, purchase subscriptions for the 2025-26 season, and watch all Iowa Wild games online.

Check out the Iowa Wild Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from January 7, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central