Luke Walker (ice hockey) explained

Luke Walker
Position:Right Wing
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:195
Played For:Lake Erie Monsters
KHL Medveščak Zagreb
Graz 99ers
EC KAC
Birth Date:19 February 1990
Birth Place:New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.[1]
Draft:139th overall
Draft Year:2010
Draft Team:Colorado Avalanche
Career Start:2010
Career End:2018

Luke Walker (born February 19, 1990) is an American former professional ice hockey forward, who played in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Lake Erie Monsters.

Playing career

Junior

Walker is the son of former New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings forward Gordie Walker, and was born in New Haven, Connecticut, when his father was a member of the New Haven Nighthawks of the American Hockey League.[2]

A native of Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada, Walker attended provincial B.C team, Okanagan Hockey Academy, scoring 50 goals in 52 games before joining the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League as a training camp invitee for the 2007–08 season.

In his three years with the Winterhawks, Luke scored 130 points in 202 games, improving his points totals in each year. In his final season with Portland in 2009–10, Walker scored a career high 57 points in 61 games, despite missing time due after surgically implanting a plate in his chin after he was hit in the face by a puck on December 8, 2009.[3] He returned to help Portland progress to the second round of the postseason by scoring 10 points in 13 games.

After passing through the draft the two previous years, on June 26, 2010, Luke was chosen by the Colorado Avalanche in the fifth round, 109th overall, of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.[4] [5]

Professional

Walker attended his first Avalanche NHL training camp for the 2010–11 season and after impressing through camp, with eligibility to play in the AHL with affiliate the Lake Erie Monsters, he was signed by Colorado to a three-year entry-level contract on September 28, 2010.[6] Walker remained a constant with the Monsters throughout his entry-level contract with the Avalanche. In his final season with the Monsters, Walker's season was affected by concussion reducing him to 47 games, however still increasing his scoring rate.

On June 24, 2013, with his rights still owned by the Avalanche, Walker signed his first European contract, agreeing to a one-year deal with newly promoted Kontinental Hockey League club, KHL Medveščak Zagreb.[7] On the lower lines of Zagreb and in a checking role, Walker endured a trying season in contributing with just 1 goal in 36 games for the 2013–14 season.

Walker expectedly left Zagreb at season's end and on July 31, 2014, agreed to a one-year contract with Austrian club, Graz 99ers of the EBEL.[8] In the 2014–15 season, Walker quickly adapted to the Austrian league and reached a professional high 19 goals and 31 points in 55 games. After originally re-signing for another season with Graz and after competing in pre-season, Walker and Graz mutually opted to terminate his contract on September 9, 2015.[9] Three days later on September 12, Walker remained in Austria to sign a one-year contract with fellow EBEL club, EC KAC.[10]

International play

On January 5, 2010, Walker won a Gold Medal as a member of the United States men's national junior ice hockey team that won the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. In the gold medal game, Team USA defeated the pre-tournament favorites and host country Canada 6–5 in overtime to win their second gold medal, thus ending Canada's bid for a record-breaking sixth consecutive gold medal.[11]

Career statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Team League GP GP G A Pts PIM
2007–08Portland WinterhawksWHL709122184
2008–09Portland WinterhawksWHL7129235284
2009–10Portland WinterhawksWHL61273057103 13641017
2010–11Lake Erie MonstersAHL75108184051120
2011–12Lake Erie MonstersAHL619182726
2012–13Lake Erie MonstersAHL4712132551
2013–14KHL Medveščak ZagrebKHL361232010000
2014–15Graz 99ersEBEL5119123128
2015–16EC KACEBEL3638111731010
2016–17Terrace River KingsCIHL141212241753470
2017–18Terrace River KingsCIHL9115161741450
AHL totals 18331397011751120

International

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Winterhawks' Luke Walker on U.S. team for World Junior Championship. Mike Wilson. 23 Dec 2009.
  2. Web site: Winterhawks veterans, like Luke Walker, can't wait for playoffs to start. 18 March 2010.
  3. Web site: Schroeder, Kristo, Johnson lead U.S. World Junior team - 2010 World Junior Championship . Nhl.com . 2009-12-23 . 2010-07-03.
  4. Web site: 2010 NHL Entry Draft - Fifth Round Selections.. 26 June 2010.
  5. Web site: Castlegar man makes NHL draft . bclocalnews.com . 2010-06-26 . 2010-07-02.
  6. Web site: Avalanche sign fifth-round draft pick Luke Walker . . 2010-09-28 . 2010-10-10.
  7. Web site: Young forwards Patrick Bjorkstrand and Luke Walker join the Bears . . 2013-06-24 . 2013-06-24 . Croatian . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130917155750/http://khlmedvescakzg.tumblr.com/post/53744188561/mladi-napadaci-patrick-bjorkstrand-i-luke-walker-dolaze . September 17, 2013 .
  8. Web site: Graz commit to Luke Walker . sportreport.biz . 2014-07-31 . 2014-07-31 . German.
  9. Web site: Transfer news with Graz and KAC . . 2015-09-09 . 2015-09-09 . German . https://web.archive.org/web/20150913024032/http://erstebankliga.at/news/transfernews/1808-transfernews-aus-graz-und-klagenfurt . September 13, 2015 . dead .
  10. Web site: Luke Walker to Klagenfurter . . 2015-09-12 . 2015-09-12.
  11. Web site: New champs: USA stuns Canada. January 6, 2010. January 5, 2010. Aykroyd. Lukas. International Ice Hockey Federation. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100111214455/http://www.iihf.com/channels0910/wm20/news/news-singleview-world-juniors/article/canada-us-tied-after-one.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=2956&cHash=e1aa245402. January 11, 2010. mdy-all.