Just Another Hockey Player

In the newest player blog, Nathan Walker provides a look at his journey to Hershey, and what he’s doing to achieve his ultimate dream of making the NHL.

The journey I’ve taken to Hershey has definitely been a journey you could say. I went to the Czech Republic when I was 13-years-old and played there for five and a half years. I’d say that’s where I developed most of my game. Then finished the final half of that last year in the USHL, playing 30 games for the Youngstown Phantoms.

From there, I went to Capitals Rookie Camp and was fortunate enough to have a chance to play in a couple of exhibition games. They seemed to like me enough to want to send me to Hershey for the year and then the year after they decided to draft me. It wasn’t the regular play juniors, play college, then turn pro route most guys take. It was a long journey, but it was definitely worth it.

That first season that I had here in Hershey definitely set me up for what I had to understand; what it’s like in the grind of the season and just every little detail, like being with older guys in the room. I think that first year really helped set me up for where I am now.

The next season I tore my ACL. I wouldn’t say it was easy coming back. I know I had a huge support system – all the trainers and the rehab guys here did an excellent job. Every question I had they answered and the doctor did an awesome job.

I was just so determined to get back and to get in even better shape than I was before I had the surgery that it definitely helped me come back and get the strength back in my legs. I wanted to work in that offseason on my speed and as soon as the doctor gave me the all clear, that was my number one priority; try to get my speed not just back to where it was, but even better than it was before I tore my ACL.

To be honest, in this last year, I don’t think I think I changed much in my game. I like to get in on the forecheck and create turnovers, and I guess you could say get in attack mode from there. Definitely playing with a guy like Scott Gomez last year was special. He’s going to make you look pretty good every night. The amount of things Riley Barber and I learned off of him was huge. Having a guy like that come in during the season and being able to play with him was unbelievable.

Overall, you got to keep working on your game day in and day out. You know there’s no real days where you can kind of sit back and go through the motions. You have to be pretty good defensively to go play in the NHL, and I think that’s just the biggest thing for me right now. Knuckling down on the D-Zone and making sure that a coach can trust you and put you out there in the tough situations for a D-Zone draw for example, or with five minutes left when you’re up by one.

When I heard Coach Trotz’s comments about being seen as a future NHL-er in his eyes, I wouldn’t say it puts it in your head, but it’s kind of nice when you know a head NHL coach is saying that. But at the same time, I’m still in the AHL. I’m here right now, and this is where I’m going to work and get better at.

Since I first came to Hershey at 19, I think I’ve matured a lot. Everything from cooking your own meals to stretching more after practice and the little stuff like that. Just knowing the grind of the season has been huge too. You know you’re going to go through ups and downs, but at the end of the day, you just got to take it as it is and just keep moving forward.

At the end of the day, I’m just another hockey player that’s playing the game I love.