Flames to sign Carter King to one-year contract
One of the top free agents coming out of college hockey is on his way home.
On Sunday, Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli reported that the Calgary Flames have signed forward Carter King to a one-year, entry-level contract.
Hearing #Flames are closing in on signing Calgary native Carter King, undrafted free agent who was captain at Denver.
King's deal is a one-year, entry-level contract that will begin next season. He'll finish out this year with AHL Wranglers.
The deal will be solely for the 2025-26 season. In the meantime, King will join the Flames’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, for the rest of the season.
King, an undrafted forward, became available after his NCAA season ended last Thursday, when he and his Denver Pioneers were knocked out of the Frozen Four by Western Michigan in a double-overtime thriller.
It was King’s fifth and final season of eligibility in NCAA hockey. Over his tenure under head coach David Carle, the Calgary native has been a part of two national championship teams in 2022 and 2024. The Pioneers won two NCHC Regular Season Championships (2022, 2023) and a conference tournament title last season.
The 23-year-old was the team captain this season, showing his leadership on and off the ice. In 44 games, King set career highs in goals (21), assists (22) and points (43), finishing fourth on the team in scoring.
He was a solid asset on a team with stars like Minnesota Wild defenseman Zeev Buium, Chicago Blackhawks forward Aidan Thompson and Florida Panthers forward Jack Devine. The Pios made their way to the Men’s Frozen Four for the third time in four years.
King was Seravalli’s top remaining undrafted college free agent. He likes King’s footspeed, which makes up for the fact that he only stands at 5-foot-10.
In 158 games with Denver, the former Surrey Eagle scored 50 goals and 62 assists for 112 points.
The Flames (38-27-14) are fourth in the Pacific Division, four points back of the St. Louis Blues for the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Calgary has two games in hand on the Blues.