Photo via @NathanWalks10
Good news for those of us who have been impressed so far with Caps prospect Nathan Walker. The 19-year-old Australian signed with the Hershey Bears for a year, meaning he’ll make the leap from his junior team, the Youngstown Phantoms, right into the AHL. George McPhee announced the news at the Caps Convention on Saturday. Unfortunately, this doesn’t guarantee he’ll be a Capital one day, due to an extraordinary set of rules based on his eligibility, but Bears fans will get to enjoy a season of him. At 5’10’’ 185 pounds, Walker is about the size of players who have had AHL success, like Keith Aucoin and Chris Bourque, but his quickness, eagerness, and willingness to drop the gloves brings a level of Aussie toughness that will give him a shot at the NHL one day.
| Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2011-12 | Vitkovice HC | Czech | 34 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 8 | -8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2012-13 | Vitkovice HC | Czech | 20 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27 | -2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012-13 | Youngstown Phantoms | USHL | 29 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 63 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
