Moose’s King named week’s best

The American Hockey League announced today that Manitoba Moose center Jason King has been named the CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending October 17, 2004. In the Moose’s first four games of the season, King tallied seven goals and two assists for nine points, leading the team to a 3-1-0-0 record on its season-opening four-game road trip.

King, 23, began his third professional season with two goals and an assist in Manitoba’s 6-3 win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday. He scored again as part of a 7-2 victory in Rochester on Friday, then recorded the first hat trick of his pro career to pace the Moose to a 6-4 win over Cleveland on Saturday. Finally, King capped the week with a goal and an assist in a 4-3 loss at Hamilton on Sunday, giving him the early AHL lead in goals (7) and points (9).

In recognition of his achievement, King will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Moose home game.

A native of Corner Brook, Nfld., King has tallied 39 goals and 33 assists for 72 points in 100 career AHL games, all with the Moose. King, who was drafted by Vancouver in 2001, spent most of the 2003-04 season with the Canucks, and was the NHL’s Rookie of the Month last November.

Other nominees for CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week include Albany right wing Aleksander Suglobov, Binghamton center Antoine Vermette, Bridgeport center Ryan Kraft, Chicago left wing Steve Maltais, Cincinnati right wing Joffrey Lupul, Cleveland center Marcel Goc, Edmonton center J.J. Hunter, Grand Rapids left wing Jiri Hudler, Hamilton goaltender Yann Danis, Hartford center Layne Ulmer, Hershey left wing Chris Bala, Houston goaltender Mike Smith, Manchester center Yanick Lehoux, Milwaukee left wing Timofei Shishkanov, Norfolk left wing Matt Ellison, Portland right wing Graham Mink, Rochester left wing Jason Botterill, San Antonio goaltender Patrick DesRochers, Springfield left wing Adam Henrich, St. John’s right wing David Ling, Syracuse center Brad Moran, Utah defenseman Matthew Spiller and Worcester defenseman Dennis Wideman.