It's been a whirlwind of a season for Dwight King, but he hasn't lost perspective.

King began the season in Manchester with the Monarchs. In February, he was called up to Los Angeles. On Wednesday, he'll play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in New Jersey.

While the road to the pinnacle of pro hockey has been a relatively short one for the 22-year-old from Saskatchewan, King knows the finals are not an easy destination to reach.

“You realize it when you look around and see guys who have played their whole careers or been in the league 10-plus seasons and not had many chances,” King said via telephone interview earlier in the week. “You grasp how serious it is. It's exciting to be a part of it.”

King has five goals in 14 playoffs games for the Kings, who entered the postseason as the No. 8 seed in the west and steamrolled the 1, 2 and 3 seeds with a 12-2 record.

“It's been really exciting watching his growth and development and seeing him take it to the next level,” said Monarchs head coach Mark Morris. “To see him go up to the NHL and be paired with top players and contribute makes us feel extremely excited for him.”

This wasn't always the trajectory King appeared to be on. Called up to Manchester from Ontario of the ECHL in 2009, King didn't show the coaching staff much at first and was sent back down.

“I remember seeing him one night before a game and he wasn't going to dress and I said to myself 'what's it going to take to get this kid going? He's a big kid and he's not ready to play,'” said Monarchs director of hockey operations Hubie McDonough. “So he had to go down for a couple weeks and I'm sure he wasn't happy about it. But he did it and he never went back and look at him now.”

King looks back on it and admits it was the best thing for him.

“The whole experience has been great,” King said. “I've been through all three stages and it helped me grow as a player and person.”

King's rookie year in Manchester produced 10 goals and 16 assists in 52 games. He followed that with 24-28-52 in 72 games in 2010-2011.

He got a six-game stint with the big club that season, but did not manage any points. King appeared ready to make the next step this season, but Manchester was missing key scorers from the previous season and King's production suffered.

But a trip to Manchester in February by Kings coach Darryl Sutter allowed King to make an impression. It wasn't long before King and Jordan Nolan, another physical presence, were on their way to Los Angeles.

“(Sutter) had a pretty good poker face,” Morris said. “He didn't say much, but he knew exactly what he was looking for in those two big bodies.”

The young guns seemed to spark the Kings. And although there were numerous players already in L.A. that King knew from Manchester, having Nolan there was important.

“I think it worked well for us. We've been together for three years and lived together,” King said. “It's nice to have that support system and someone to talk to and relate to.”

King has worked his way into the top six forwards and his ice time, even in key situations, has continued to climb.

“You have to gain the trust of the coach,” King said. “He's pretty simple. He's a guy who wants hard work from his players. You put your best foot forward and you get rewarded.”

Morris believes King deserves this success.

“He's earned it,” Morris said. “He's a great complement to his linemates. He does all the heavy work that has to be done in the playoffs.”

And if King and the other Kings continue to put in the work, Lord Stanley will be enjoying life on the West Coast for the next year.

Ian Clark covers pro hockey for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News.-