LA Kings Assign Defenseman to AHL

The Los Angeles Kings have made a roster move, as they have assigned defenseman Jordan Spence to the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Seeing Spence get demoted back down to the AHL is certainly an interesting development, as he is one of the Kings' most promising young players. However, after being scratched for six out of the Kings' last 10 games, this move back to the AHL may be beneficial for the youngster's development. 

Spence, 22, has had a solid season for the Kings so far in 2023-24, as he has a career-high 16 assists to go along with a plus-5 rating. Overall, he has provided decent offense from the point when called upon, but with Brandt Clarke now cementing himself a role in the Kings' lineup, some time in the AHL may not be the worst thing in the world for Spence.

The Reign will certainly be ecstatic to have Spence back on their blue line, as he has been dominant for them. During this past season with the AHL squad, he had four goals to go along with 45 points in 56 games. In 2021-22 with the Reign, he had 42 points in 46 games.

Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see how well Spence performs following this assignment to the AHL. If he performs well and/or the Kings suffer an injury with their defense, he will likely be the first player called up. 

photo credit: © Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports