The Sarnia Sting's Jeff King flies out Wednesday for the Chicago Blackhawks rookie camp.
He'll be one of several Sting heading to NHL camps this week.
King was born in Sarnia, but raised in the United States. He played his minor midget year with the Lambton Jr. Sting before joining the Sarnia Legionnaires as a 16-year-old.
Heading into his fourth season with the Sting, a tenth round pick in 2012, King knew his path to the OHL wouldn't be an easy one.
"It's something I'm proud of, I had to work really hard to get here. I was lucky enough to be in the Legionnaires organization which was likely better for me," says King. "It let me develop a little bit, I don't think I would have been ready for the OHL my first year. So I really have to thank that organization, they helped me a lot."
He says the team is looking to build on last year's playoff loss to Sault Ste. Marie.
"I've been thinking about it all summer, I think everyone has thought about that game seven," says King. "All the returning players coming back, we have the experience, we know what to do. I think this year will be a different story if we're in the same situation."
King says there is still lots of work to do, but expects to be back in Sarnia for the start of the Sting season, September 21 against London.
Other Sting at NHL Rookie Camps: Jakob Chychrun (Arizona) Philip Helt (St. Louis) Josh Jacobs (New Jersey) Travis Konecny (Philadelphia) Nikita Korostelev (Toronto) Jordan Kyrou (St. Louis) Anthony Salinitri (Philadelphia) Pavel Zacha (New Jersey)
Full Interview with Jeff King:
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Jeff-King-Sept-14.mp3"][/audio]