ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland and Labrador – The St. John’s IceCaps have added a pair of local players to the mix for the club’s 2011-12 training camp. The IceCaps, the AHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, recently signed 29-year-old forward Jason King to an AHL contract while extending a tryout to Alex Wall, a 20-year-old defenseman. Both King and Wall grew up in Newfoundland and Labrador, with King calling Corner Brook home and Wall hailing from St. John’s. “It’s any player’s dream to be able to play professional hockey at home,” King said to the Western Star. King is not only assured a spot on the team, but is expected to be a top-six forward with the IceCaps. He is fresh off a three-year stint in the top league in Germany, the DEL, having spent the past two seasons with the Hamburg Freezers, following one year with the Manheim Eagles. During the 2010-11 campaign, he registered 16 goals, 13 assists and 29 points in 50 games, after picking up 43 points in 50 games during the 09-10 season. King is a big name in Newfoundland and Labrador hockey circles. He was a scoring star with the Halifax Mooseheads during his days in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and went on to become a very good offensive player in the AHL and in Europe. He played in the 2005 AHL All-Star Classic, and suited up for 59 NHL games between 2002 and 2008, accumulating 12 goals, 11 assists and 23 points during stints with the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks. There is little doubt King is expected to provide offense for the IceCaps, a role he appears ready to embrace. “I’ve added that experience and maturity (by playing in Germany), but my main goal is putting pucks in the net. It’s what I enjoy doing and what I do best. Hopefully, with time I’ve gotten a little better,” King told Slam Sports. King will play right wing with the IceCaps and will be a fan favorite due to his scoring ability and the fact he is a local player. Although he looks forward to playing in front of family and friends in St. John’s, King hopes to work his way onto the Winnipeg Jets roster before the season ends. “I’m hoping to get to the Jets at some point. It’s up to me and how I play,” King told Slam Sports. Rookie attends camp on tryout basis Unlike King, Wall will have to fight for a roster spot in training camp. He spent the past four seasons in the QMJHL, with the 2010-11 campaign serving as the best of his junior career. The smooth-skating defender was a leader on the Quebec Remparts blue line, finishing the year with six goals, 43 assists and 49 points in 68 games. He followed that up with an impressive showing in the playoffs, piling up 14 points in 18 postseason games. Although he is considered a small pro defenseman at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, Wall’s skating and passing abilities will give him a shot at earning a job with the IceCaps in September. “I think it’s every hockey player’s dream to play professionally some day, but not a whole lot get the chance. Now that I’ve got one, I plan to make the most of it,” Wall told the St. John’s Telegram. Before the tryout with the IceCaps came his way, Wall had planned on spending the 2011-12 season playing Canadian university hockey with the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Panthers. Now he is considering playing in the AHL with St. John’s or even an ECHL team should the IceCaps decide he needs to gain some pro experience before skating in the AHL. “We’ll see about that when the time comes,” Wall said to the St. John’s Telegram. “Right now, I’m concentrating on what I have to do to get a contract. I won’t be playing anywhere without a contract.” Contact Darcy.MacRae@prohockeynews.com
