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Derek King #7
Position: Left Wing
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 212
lbs.
Shoots: Left
Born: February
11, 1967 in Hamilton, Ontario
Last Amateur Club: Oshawa
Generals (OHL) Led Oshawa in
goals as the team won the league
championship.
Drafted: Selected
by the New York Islanders in the first round (13th pick overall) of the
1985 NHL Entry Draft.
-Traded to Hartford by New York
Islanders for Hartford's 5th round choice
(Adam Edinger) in 1997 Entry Draft,
March 18, 1997
-Derek signed as a free agent with Toronto on July 4, 1997. But was traded on October 20th to the ST Louis Blues for minor league defenseman Tyler Harlton and futur considerations.
-1987-88: First N.H.L. goal came
on Oct. 31 vs the
Rangers’ Bob Froese.
As a Rookie: Finished second
on the team in rookie scoring behind Randy Wood...Appeared in 55 games
as a rookie...Missed
nine games with an injured wrist...Tied Calgary’s Joe
Nieuwendyk for the longest
assist streak by a rookie that season (seven games).
OHL Honours:
OHL First All-Star Team (1987)
O.H.L. Rookie of the Year in (1984-85)
Personal:
Married, wife’s name is Suzanne...Enjoys tennis
and golf...Greatest thrill in hockey was beating the defending Stanley
Cup champion Penguins in Game 7 of the 1993 Patrick Division Finals...Long
Island, New York is
his off-season residence... Began playing
hockey at age five...Involved with Big
Brothers and Big Sisters.Personal
Nickname: Kinger
Road Roommate: Dave Ellett
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Maple Walnut - Yogurt
High School: Sir Winston Churchill
Favorite Cereal as a Kid: Captain Crunch
First Job: Ford Motor Company
Hobbies: Wine collecting, ’67 corvette and ’94
Harley
Favorite Golf Course: Indian Hills Country Club,
Northfort, NY
Favorites:
MOVIE:
Braveheart TV SHOW: Seinfeld NHL UNIFORM: All original six
teams FOOD: Pasta BOOK: No One Gets Out of Here Alive by
Jim Morrison ACTORS & ACTRESSES: Mel Gibson, Kevin Spacey and
Julia Ormond MUSIC: The Doors, Jim Cuddy and Blue Rodeo SPORTS:
Hockey and Golf
1997-98 Season
Second on team in goals. Third on
team in points and shooting percentage. Missed five games with sprained
ankle.
The Finesse Game
There is only one thing King does
well, and that is score goals. He is at his best from the face-off dot
of the
left circle to the front of the
net. He has great concentration through traffic and soft, soft hands for
cradling
passes and then snapping off the
shot the instant the puck hits his blade. He has to play with someone who
will get him the puck. At his most
effective on the power play, King has good anticipation and reads the
offensive plays well. He is not
a great skater but has improved his defensive awareness.
The Physical Game
A solid and durable player who takes
a pounding in front of the net, King doesn't use his body well in other
areas of the ice, which is one of
the reasons for his defensive problems.
The Intangibles
Toronto struggled again last season, but King
was grateful for a second chance and rebounded, slightly.
Because Toronto doesn't figure to upgrade its
talent much for this season, King will continue to see more ice
time--but he'll see it in the much more defensive-minded
Eastern Conference.
Projection
King is a 20-goal skater with 40-goal hands.
King's Career Stats
