Jenkins, 18, has spina bifida and is a big reason why the Kings now have sled hockey. In search of a sport to play, he became hooked after watching a friend's video of sled hockey.
"That's kind of when I realized, especially being in California where it's extremely hot for most of the year, I knew it was for me," he said. "I could spend time in the rink, cool down a bit. Even after a stressful day at school I could get my stress levels down. It was awesome."
Finding a rink where it was played, however, wasn't easy.
"Most of them had never heard of it before; a couple of them thought it was a joke," Nicholas' father, Todd, said. "We got with USA Hockey and they asked if we wanted to do a clinic, because Sacramento was the only [sled hockey] program in the state at the time."
The Jenkins' began the sled hockey clinics in 2010 at a rink in Ontario, California, which is 30 minutes west of San Bernadino. Interest grew, and the Jenkins family helped spread the word about the game.
Joshua Swope, 30, met the Jenkins' while watching the Ontario Reign, the former ECHL team, and was asked if he was interested in sled hockey.