Kenny Connors

Connors took his first major step toward the pros in the USHL with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, playing there from 2020 to 2022 and posting 74 points before moving on to college hockey. He then spent three seasons at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he accumulated 77 points and earned a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team in 2022–23.

The Los Angeles Kings selected him 103rd overall in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. That selection eventually led to a professional contract: in April 2025 Connors signed a two-year entry-level deal with Los Angeles and joined their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, for the 2025–26 season.

In his first full pro season he recorded 41 points in 65 games, playing primarily at centre. Ontario also deployed him on both special teams units, giving him responsibilities on the power play and the penalty kill and signaling a coaching staff willing to trust him in varied situations. Those assignments formed the backbone of his development at the pro level.

Connors made his NHL debut on 2 March 2026 against the Colorado Avalanche and appeared in two NHL games that season. While his time at the highest level was brief, those games represent the transition from collegiate and AHL competition to the NHL stage.

On the ice, Connors is a centre whose trajectory shows steady adaptation: driven production in lower leagues, special-teams usage, and progressive trust from his organizations. From the USHL to UMass, then to Ontario and finally a first NHL look, his career so far follows a clear path of incremental responsibility and growth.