Kings sign Grant Slukynsky to entry-level contract

The Kings also announced the signing of Grant’s younger brother, Hampton, who was the Western Michigan Broncos No. 1 goaltender this past season.

The signing comes just days after the Slukynskys and the Broncos were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, falling to NCHC rival Denver in the Loveland Regional Final on Sunday.

It was the end to an incredible season for the Warroard, Minn. native. The junior scored 10 goals in 39 games, setting career highs in assists (30) and points (40), leading the Broncos in scoring. Along with being named to the All-NCHC Third Team, Slukynsky sits tied for eighth in the country in helpers and tied for 19th in points.

Slukynsky started his college career at Northern Michigan, scoring just nine points as a freshman druing the 2023-24 campaign. However, after head coach Grant Potulny left the program to go coach in the AHL, Grant and brother Hampton decided to go elsewhere, joining Pat Ferschweiler’s crew at Western Michigan.

The move paid off for both. For Grant, he became an important offensive weapon in Kalamazoo, scoring 10 goals and 36 points last season, finishing tied for third on the team in scoring. He scored the winning goal in double overtime against Minnesota State in the opening round of the national tournament, an important game that helped the Broncos go on to win the NCAA D-I championship for the first time in program history.

Across three seasons of college hockey, the 24-year-old scored 26 goals and 59 assists for 85 points in 115 games.

Prior to his NCAA career, Slukynsky played three full seasons in the United States Hockey League. After spending his rookie season with the Fargo Force in 2020-21, he joined the Sioux City Musketeers, helping the team win the Clark Cup in 2022 before captaining the team in his final season of junior hockey three years ago.