Bears Recall D.J. King

February 23, 2026

 The Hershey Bears have recalled defenseman DJ King from the club's ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays. The announcement was made by Hershey vice president of hockey operations, Bryan Helmer.

King, 25, has appeared in eight AHL games this season while skating under professional tryout agreements with Hershey and the Iowa Wild. In his lone prior game with the Bears on Nov. 16 vs. Lehigh Valley, the blueliner recorded the primary assist on Hershey's game-tying goal in an eventual 2-1 overtime win. He signed an AHL contract with the Bears on Feb. 9. 

The 6'3", 216-pound defenseman has also produced six points (2g, 4a) in 33 ECHL games with South Carolina this season. He has generated 31 points (9g, 22a) in 197 ECHL games with Fort Wayne, Norfolk, Indy, and South Carolina.

King has recorded two assists in 16 career AHL games with Grand Rapids, Hershey, Iowa, and Rockford. He is the son of Bears head coach Derek King.

The Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, when they host the Utica Comets on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. at GIANT Center for GIANT Foldable Grocery Tote Night and Berks Dollar Dog Night. The first 6,000 fans in attendance will receive a Bears foldable grocery tote, courtesy of The GIANT Company, while all fans can purchase $1 Berks hot dogs at select concourse locations. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets for this game.