The voice coming down the line from Pennsylvania is unmistakably Australian, but it possesses an undeniably North American twang. By rights, it should also have a European inflection.
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Australian ice-hockey star Nathan Walker has been living and travelling in Europe and North America since he was 13. In the past two years, the NHL prospect has played in the Czech Republic and Youngstown, Ohio. He now plys his wares as the first Aussie in the American Hockey League, as a left-winger for the Hershey Bears.
“I think I’ve got into the habit now that I’m not going to stay in one place for a very long time,” the 20-year-old says on a rare day off in Hershey.
“I always go home in the summertime, so it’s not like I am going to be staying somewhere for years and years.
“It gets a little too much at some points, but then again it’s nice to be moving around and seeing other parts of the world.”
This '‘summer’', (winter Australian time), Walker returns to Sydney for his customary two months at home for his usual routine of relaxing, catching up with former junior teammates - many of who play with the Australian Ice Hockey League champions the Sydney Ice Dogs - and schooling wide-eyed juniors.
He will be playing for America.
Walker is the coup signing for this year’s edition of the successful America v Canada International Exhibition series, which last year sold out Hisense Arena in Melbourne and Allphones Arena in Sydney. The series, which this year is stretching to five games, in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, features some top-tier NHL players, but is largely peopled by the highly talented ranks of the AHL and the East Coast Hockey League, the main suppliers of players for the sport’s elite professional competition.
Series promoter and talent wrangler Kerry Goulet says the selection of Walker is a “really novel idea”, but fits the ethos of the series.
“Not only does he have exceptional talents, but he’s really understanding of what he means to kids out here [in Australia].
“The kid’s done the extra mile to make it to the National Hockey League. [Hershey assistant coach] Ryan thinks he’s got a good chance to make it next year... what a great story!”
The feisty left wing is a big chance to be drafted this June by the Washington Capitals, Hershey’s NFL affiliate.
Goulet says Walker can make it to the top.
“What he does possess is he’s a great skater, which is really important in the National Hockey League. I got to see him practice, he’s got really good vision. He communicates well and he’s not intimidated, and he does not have an awe factor. And I think that’s probably being here, going to Europe and playing in a pretty high level league at a pretty young age."
Goulet says Walker has a chance to make it in the NHL as a "role player" on the third line. "The Washington Capitals organisation has said they’re really going to look at him seriously as being part of their organisation for a long time to come.”
Walker, modest and economical with his words, but not shy, seems inured to external pressures that might faze a less-travelled youngster.
On the tantalising possibility of an NHL career: “You kind of know what kind of player you are and so do the coaches, and you’ve just got to do what you can do and hopefully a team can see you and then you might have a chance to go and play in the NHL,” Walker says.
On being a role model to Australian fans and children:
“At the end of the day I’m just another hockey player in the world that’s trying to make it," he says. "So I try not to think about that too much.”
Walker does however get a kick out of helping Australian youngsters, running clinics when he gets back in town.
“It’s awesome I love doing that. I did that (clinics) when I was a kid. And I always said to myself that if I had a chance to teach other kids what I know, and my knowledge of the game, then I’m definitely going to do that.”
However, if one of those youngsters shows enough talent, Walker says he might have to emigrate.
“Yeah, definitely. I mean I’m not talking bad about Australia but we just don’t have the funding for it and the ice time. It’s not a major priority in sport ... to be an ice-hockey player there, it’s real tough," he says.
“You’re on the ice twice a week, which doesn’t really give you that much. Whereas if you head overseas you have a chance to get on the ice every day of that week.”
These days, Walker uses his seven days a week on the ice to improve his “hockey awareness”.
“It’s really an honour to get to play with some of these guys that I’m playing with right now," he says. "Most of them have played in the NHL, so I’m just trying to take in as much as I can off them and just try and learn as much as I can.”
One of the costs of the lengthy North American seasons - Hershey, one point off a play-off berth with seven regular-season games left, could play into June if they make the finals - is national representation.
Australia’s national men’s team completes its preparation for April’s World Championship Division IIA, in Serbia, with practice matches against the Melbourne Mustangs and Melbourne Ice this Thursday and Saturday. Walker is rather hopefully named as a reserve for the team, but for the foreseeable future he will be unable to add to his nine games for the national team because of his professional obligations.
This week's warm-up games also serve as the final AIHL tune-ups for Ice and the Mustangs, while in NSW, the pre-season Wilson Cup final will be contested by the Sydney Ice Dogs and the Newcastle North Stars.
The AIHL season begins on Saturday April 12. Read more
The International Exhibition Series runs in July. Read more
