"He was a great friend and mentor," said current CSEC President and CEO John Bean. "He had an unbelievable drive on every aspect and that's what you leave with. He commanded the room wherever he walked in. That large energy and commitment was translated into the city.
"We will miss him very much."
King joined the Flames as President and CEO in the spring of 2001. Over the course of the past 20 years, he built a strong and vibrant sports and entertainment organization.
His relentless focus on customer service and the fan experience enabled the Flames to survive the challenging times they faced early in his tenure and built the foundation for a growing and successful sports entity which includes the WHL's Hitmen, the AHL's Heat, the NLL's Roughnecks, and a controlling interest in the CFL's Stampeders.
In addition, he played an integral role in the approval of the new Calgary Event Centre.
"It was a journey for 14 years," Bean said. "It was amazing thing to see; Ken was totally focused on delivering a new event centre for the city.
"He provided unbelievable advice and guidance to get it done and a project that he was so passionate about. He saw it all come through on Dec. 8 when we got the deal done."
King was described as a person 100% committed to everything he did for the organization.
And he was one of the biggest fans you could ever find.
"He always loved coming down and seeing the guys," said Flames General Manager Brad Treliving, adding King met briefly with players last week. "He was a guys' guy and he knew a tidbit on each one of the players and I know that meant a lot to them.
"You always reflect on moments you have," Treliving added, with abroad grin. "My first interview I had with him, he drilled me in the side of my arm and it almost knocked it off. That was Ken."
"His personality was a sight to behold and what I always found with Ken was that there was great wisdom. He was a man of great presence. When things were rolling downhill, he was a guy you would want to be in a fox hole with."
