245 Miles—Minnesota Grown Walker Enjoying Dream Season.
It’s been nothing short of a dream run for Wild forward Sammy Walker. You could not have scripted his first pro season any better. An Edina, Minnesota native, Walker has racked up accolades: his first NHL call-up, his NHL debut and his first NHL point. All while playing within the organization he grew up watching as a kid, and one day dreaming of playing for in the NHL.
After a dominant scoring run, that led all AHL rookies, Walker earned his first NHL call-up to Minnesota on Dec. 9 and made his NHL debut one day later in Vancouver, a 3-0 victory for the Wild. The moment went fast for the Minnesota Golden Gopher.
“It was incredible, a dream come true,” said the 23-year old with a wide smile. “To be able to fly out to Vancouver, and join the team. It was kind of just a blur. I just tried to process it afterwards. It really was a dream come true. It was amazing.”
On Dec. 12, Walker would play at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, his Wild home debut. The X was a building he had frequented as a youth to watch the likes of Marian Gaborik and Zach Parise. The same ice on which he competed for a state title while playing at Edina High School.
“I think I was more nervous for that,” replied the forward. “You know, it's where you grew up, the homestead. Your whole family and all your friends are there. It was an incredible dream come true.”
Walker was making a lot of noise in Iowa, making it impossible for the big club to miss his immediate production. Walker has been among the Iowa team leaders, if not the leader, in scoring all season. For Walker’s on-ice success, he was named the AHL’s Rookie of the Month in November, and in January the speedster was selected to represent Iowa at the AHL All-Star Classic in Laval on Feb. 5-6. He will be joined by Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt.
“It's a huge honor,” said the all-star. “I'm just going to try and have fun with it.”
As far as the skills competition, Walker is planning to look into the speed competition and the rapid fire.
Walker’s speed is the key to his game, the forward is known for his wheels. Growing up in Edina, Walker had outdoor rinks he would play on as a kid. On weekends, he would get dropped off with his older brothers and skate all day, usually with much older competition. With skating as a huge strength of his game, Walker is able to take away space and time, as well as create it. This is all part of learning the pro game.
“For young players, they get better when offensive opportunities are created against them,” explained Iowa Head Coach Tim Army. “They get more awareness. I think his willingness to learn is there. He wants to do it right. The challenge with today’s game is there is so much chaos that occurs in the offensive zone. It can be difficult to sort through it. For a young player, they just need to play a bit to recognize situations and the response that is needed. As he gets more ice time, he has a chance to become a really good hockey player.”
One thing that is certain, Walker is already proving that he is a really good hockey player. He is a big reason for a surging Iowa Wild club that has run of 11 straight games with a point, and only one regulation loss since Christmas. The Iowa Wild are charging up the standings at the right time and the goal of a deep run in the Calder Cup Playoffs is within reach this spring.
“I think we just got to keep getting better and playing the way we are right now. Consistency is everything,” said Walker.
