With training camp just around the corner, we are previewing each player on the LA Kings roster. Up next: Joe Hicketts!

Joe Hicketts

Birthdate: May 4, 1996

Birthplace: Kamloops, British Columbia

Height: 5’8

Weight: 176 lbs

Position: Defense

Shoots: Left

Draft: Undrafted

2024-25 season

Joe Hicketts completed his second season with the Ontario Reign under an NHL contract with the LA Kings. After TJ Tynan, captain of the Reign for two seasons, left the organization for free agency, Hicketts was appointed team captain. One of the leaders on the team, Hicketts, was a calming influence on a Reign team that experienced lots of roster turnover and a young defensive core.

Ladies and gentlemen, your new captain of the #ReignTrain! 🫡

📰 https://t.co/OpMjwimxT0 pic.twitter.com/fGYZIEqDob

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) October 10, 2024

Hicketts totaled 27 points (3 G, 24 A) in 62 games, but his on-ice value was worth more than what the points say. Playing banged up at times, Hicketts led by example and ate up minutes for Marco Sturm on the backend. When he missed time with an injury, his presence was missed. You can understand why he was chosen for the role of team captain, as his mentorship was a valuable aspect for the young prospects on the backend.

We call this, “art in motion🤌”#ReignTrain I #CGYvsONT pic.twitter.com/TeC5VllvCR

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) February 24, 2025

Congrats on the BIG 5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣, Captain Joe!✨#ReignTrain pic.twitter.com/hbA3qFJTHk

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) January 5, 2025

He signed a two-year extension in March to keep him around the organization.

We’ve signed defenseman Joe Hicketts to a two-year, two-way contract extension worth an AAV of $775,000!

Read More 📲 https://t.co/24RS7jK9Oa@Enterprise | @ontarioreign pic.twitter.com/sgJSGbVuax

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 20, 2025

2025-26 outlook

Hicketts will assume the captaincy role and will serve as a mentor to the young defensemen once again. With Kirill Kirsanov and Otto Salin playing their first full season in North America, and Jakub Dvořák and Angus Booth being 21 years old or younger, his stabilizing presence will be even more important on the backend. Having taken Booth under his wing on and off the ice last season, he’s a good player to keep around for the next two years while playing an important role for the team.

Featured image credit: Jon Huerta/Ontario Reign

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