Ducks Sign King, Select Minor League Affiliate

The Mighty Ducks announced Thursday they had signed forward Steven King to a multiyear contract and had selected the Greensboro (N.C.) Monarchs as their secondary minor league affiliate.

King, 24, was selected from the New York Rangers in the expansion draft. He is a 6-foot, 195-pound wing who played 24 games with the Rangers last season, scoring seven goals. He also scored 35 goals and had 33 assists in 53 games with the American Hockey League’s Binghamton (N.Y.) Rangers.

He was the Rangers’ top pick in the 1991 supplemental draft after a four-year career at Brown.

Greensboro, formerly affiliated with the Quebec Nordiques, is in the East Coast Hockey League. Home ice is the 21,000-seat Greensboro Coliseum.

The Monarchs were 33-29-2 and finished in sixth place in the Eastern Division last season.

The Ducks announced Wednesday that the International Hockey League’s San Diego Gulls would be their primary minor league affiliate.

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Ryan Campbell, a right-handed pitcher signed by Cal State Fullerton last spring, told Titan coaches this week that he has decided to sign with the Houston Astros.

“He’s very good, potentially,” said George Horton, Fullerton associate head coach. “He’s a big kid who throws hard.”

Campbell, from Fresno Hoover High, is the third Titan recruit to sign professionally this summer. Previously, Steve Verduzco, an infielder who was transferring from Notre Dame, signed with Houston, and Matt Stone, a left-handed pitcher from Vista High in San Diego County, signed with Toronto.

“We were sweating out (outfielder) Dante (Powell) two summers ago, and last year, we were sweating out (pitcher) Jon Ward until the last day of summer,” Horton said. “This year, we didn’t even feel like these guys were close.

“But we’re still happy with the kids we have coming in. We feel like what’s coming in will fill the holes created by graduation.”