Derek King is a one-time Canadian professional ice hockey player who competed from 1986 to 2000 as a left winger in the National Hockey League. He currently serves the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL as an assistant coach.
New fans of the ice hockey professional might be eager to learn about him. So, let's get to know more about Derek King and see how he went from playing to coaching in this biography.
Anže Kopitar Biography - Hockey Player
Derek King Net Worth And Career
Including his career as an athlete and a coach, the former left winger has been actively involved in hockey for over 35 years. He must have bagged a massive fortune throughout the years. Likewise, Derek King's net worth must be immense.
The sportsman was drafted 13th overall by the New York Islanders in the NHL Entry Draft in 1985 and made his NHL debut in the 1986-87 season. He also played for Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues of NHL. In addition, he also competed for different teams in leagues other than NHL. For example, King played for Grand Rapids Griffins in IHL and AHL and Oshawa Generals in the OHL. In his career as an NHL athlete, he played 830 games, scored 261 goals and 351 assists, and earned 612 points.
Now, let's look at some of Derek's playing statistics in the table below:
| Season | Team | Games Played | Goals Scored | Points |
| 1996–97 | New York Islanders | 70 | 23 | 53 |
| 1997–98 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 77 | 21 | 46 |
| 1998–99 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 81 | 24 | 52 |
Table Source: NHL Official Website
After retiring from playing, the Hamilton native started his career as a coach in August 2009, when he became the assistant coach of the Toronto Marlies, the AHL affiliate team of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Five years later, in 2014, he was promoted to associate coach. Then, in July 2015, Derek became the OHL's Owen Sound Attack's assistant coach. However, he left the team in just three months, in October.
Finally, in July 2016, King was named an assistant coach of the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League, which is the minor league affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. He was later promoted to the interim head coach of the IceHogs on November 6, 2018. Eventually, he landed his first head coaching position at the end of the 2018-19 season.
The 1967-born sportsperson became the interim head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL on November 2, 2021. Just a day later, he earned his first win with the Blackhawks, defeating the Nashville Predators. Sadly, he was let go from the position on June 27, 2022. However, on July 11, 2022, Chicago Blackhawks announced Derek's return as an assistant coach for the 2022-23 season.
According to The Athletic, veteran assistant coaches, with little head coaching experience, earn between $500,000 and $700,000 per year. Since King also previously served as a head coach, he must also earn in a similar range. Hence, Derek King's net worth must be a significant amount.
Likewise, John Gibson is another sports celebrity with a massive net worth.
Derek King Is Happily Married
As the title suggests, the Canadian coach enjoys a blissful marital life with his partner. But unfortunately, little to no information about his beloved spouse is known to the public as of now. Even the name of his missus has not been disclosed yet, making it hard to find her on social media. In addition, Mrs. King completely stays away from the limelight. Perhaps she prefers to keep a low profile.
Nonetheless, Derek has talked about his other half a few times in some of his interviews. Once in an interview with Chicago Tribune, while talking about how hectic his NHL schedule is, he revealed that Mrs. King controlled everything and got everything figured out. He also added that she is a huge supporter of his career. Hopefully, we will get to learn more about Derek King's wife in the future.
Proud Father Of Three
The former left winger and his spouse are parents of three lovely boys. Their eldest is D.J. King, who was born on August 7, 2000, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Derek King's son is pursuing a career in hockey and following in his footsteps. He is a professional hockey player who competes in the East Coast Hockey League as a Defense for the Fort Wayne Komets.
Derek King shares three lovely sons with his wife. Image Source: Derek King's Twitter.
Derek King's other children are a set of twins who arrived when he was living in Arizona. But, as in the case of his wife, along with their birth details, the names of his baby boys remain a mystery. Regardless, according to the coach's bio on his Twitter account, his younger kids also love the game of hockey. They often go to the Rockford Hockey Club rink for games and practices. So, could the twins be planning on becoming ice hockey players in the future?
Is From Hamilton
The coach was welcomed by his parents on February 11, 1967, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Sadly, information regarding Derek King's mother and father, including their names, has yet to be revealed. Likewise, he has not disclosed much about his other family members. Perhaps, his parents and siblings are people of privacy and want to stay away from the limelight.
Furthermore, not much has been made known about the assistant coach himself. Due to this reason, it is difficult to learn about his childhood. It seems he is also a secretive person and isn't eager to share about his life before starting his hockey career.
Well, it's unfortunate that Derek King has not opened up much about his personal life. Hopefully, we will learn about his parents, wife, and children in the days ahead. Nonetheless, with his fortune likely to grow with his career, he must enjoy a comfortable life. We wish him and his close ones lead a happy and prosperous life in the future.
Trivia And Facts
- Derek King has over 300 followers on his Twitter.
- He was a three-time 30-goal scorer.
- In 1999, he scored the last goal in Maple Leaf Gardens.
- King's Blackhawks coaching record was 27-33 in the 2021-22 season.
