- DJ King verse Jody Shelley - Caps Snaps
Congratulations to the Washington Capitals for adding a major NHL tough guy to their lineup this summer when they acquired hardy right wing D.J. King in a trade with the St. Louis Blues. King is a true NHL heavyweight, a slick brawler and awesome puncher, who has the potential to easily become a top five contender. If the Capitals give King half the chance, he will emerge quickly in 2010 as a bona fide fan and league favorite.
DJ King, Washington Capitals
Washington shipped prospect Stefan Della Rovere, a seventh-round selection in 2008, to St. Louis in exchange for King. King is the legitimate enforcer the Capitals have sorely been missing since Donald Brashear's exit to the New York Rangers via free agency before the 2009 season. Last year, the Capitals were conclusively beat up by some of the league’s rougher teams, when they obviously didn’t have an answer to the Colton Orrs and David Kocis of the game. In 2009-2010, the Capitals only fought a paltry total of 20 times, with Matt Bradley clumsily leading the squad with five scraps. The New York Rangers signing of behemoth winger Derek Boogaard impelled the Capitals to sign King.
King, 6’3”, 230-pounds, is a native of Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. The 26-year-old promising enforcer played in only 13 games the past two years because of hand and shoulder problems. In 2008-09, he injured his shoulder in his first game of the season and required season-ending surgery. Last season, in his first game of 2009-2010, he damaged his hand in a fight with Dallas's Krys Barch (October 24, 2009). King returned to play in 11 late-season games, the highlight of which was on March 24, 2010, when he broke Derek Boogaard’s nose.
DJ King, Hockey Fights
King is a veteran of 101 NHL games – all with the Blues – in which he posted nine points (four goals, five assists) and 185 penalty minutes. Originally chosen in the sixth round, 191st overall, by the Blues in the 2002 Entry Draft, King has 31 fighting majors in the NHL. His first NHL fight took place September 23, 2003, against John Erskine. His first regular season NHL fight was against Chicago Blackhawk’s muscleman Reed Low, October 14, 2006. King’s career season-high fight total was back in 2007-2008 when he scrapped 14 times.
King’s greatest rivals are George Parros (four fights) and Jody Shelley (three fights). Hockey fight fans are ecstatic about the prospect of D.J. King squaring off a couple of times in 2010 against popular New York Rangers acquisition Derek Boogaard. The most highly anticipated heavyweight encounter of the season would be a showdown between these two formidable heavyweights.
Brian D'Ambrosio - Brian D'Ambrosio is the author of more than 500 published articles and seven books, including From Haikus to Hatmaking: A Year in the Life ...
