Geoff Walker (ice hockey) explained

Geoff Walker
Played For:Manchester Monarchs
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Lake Erie Monsters
Syracuse Crunch
HC Fassa
Sheffield Steelers
Guildford Flames
Position:Right wing
Birth Date:1987 12, mf=yes
Birth Place:Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:225
Shoots:Right
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2008
Career End:2018

Geoff Walker (born December 9, 1987) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right wing who most notably played in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Playing career

Walker spent the 2003–04 season with the Summerside Western Capitals of the Junior A Maritime Junior Hockey League. While with the Capitals, Walker competed in the 2004 World U-17 Hockey Challenge for Team Atlantic.

Walker played major junior hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the Gatineau Olympiques and his hometown club, the Prince Edward Island Rocket.

After completing the 2007–08 season, his final in major junior, Walker signed an amateur try-out agreement with the Texas Brahmas of the Central Hockey League for the remainder of the 2007–08 season.

On September 30, 2008, Walker signed with the Phoenix RoadRunners of the ECHL, but was soon after waived by the team and claimed off of waivers by the Ontario Reign on October 14, 2008.

During the 2009–10 season, Walker split his time between the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (AHL) and their ECHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.

After two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins affiliate, the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Walker was signed to his first NHL contract on a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche on July 1, 2012. Before playing a game for the Avalanche, Walker was assigned to the teams's AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters. During the 2012–13 season, Walker dealt with injury, appearing in only 51 games for the Monsters, in which he accrued 5 goals, 15 assists, and 55 penalty minutes.

On July 5, 2013, Walker signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning on a one-year, two-way contract. On September 21, 2013, the Lightning assigned Walker to its AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. On March 31, 2014, the Lightning reassigned Walker to the Florida Everblades, its ECHL affiliate.

On August 9, 2014, Walker agreed to a try-out contract with the Iserlohn Roosters of the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga. On August 25, 2014, the Roosters announced that they had released Walker from his try-out contract.

On September 23, 2014, Walker re-signed with ECHL's Ontario Reign for the 2014–15 season. On January 22, 2015, Walker was traded by the Reign to the Missouri Mavericks in exchange for David Rutherford. After completing the season with the Mavericks, Walker signed his first contract abroad, agreeing to a one-year deal with DEL2 club, Löwen Frankfurt on June 15, 2015.[1] However, on August 1, 2015, Walker opted to terminate his contract with Frankfurt citing family reasons.[2] On August 21, 2015, Walker continued his professional career in America signing a one-year AHL contract with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.[3]

On April 19, 2016, Walker signed a contract with Tingsryds AIF of the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan.[4] In the lead up to the pre-season, Walker sought and was released from his agreement with Tingsryds opting to move initially to Italian club, HC Fassa of the newly formed Alps Hockey League to begin the 2016–17 season.

Walker played 33 games with Fassa in accruing 56 points before leaving the club to in February 2017 to join UK team Sheffield Steelers of the Elite Ice Hockey League.[5] After helping the Steelers win the Elite League playoff final, Walker departed the club at the end of the season.[6]

Walker returned to North America agreeing to a one-year ECHL contract with the Indy Fuel on August 17, 2017.[7] During the 2017–18 season, in November 2017, Walker moved back to the EIHL to sign for Guildford Flames to complete his ten-year professional career.

Coaching career

On June 22, 2018, returned to junior hockey by accepting the inaugural general manager/head coach role with the Hinton Wildcats of the Western States Hockey League (WSHL).[8] After one season in Hinton, he was hired by the Canton Cubs of the North American 3 Hockey League for the same positions on April 23, 2019.[9] On April 25, he instead took the head coach position of the Bellingham Blazers in the WSHL.[10] By June 16, 2019, he joined the Red Lake Miners of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.[11]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Team League GP GP G A Pts PIM
2003–04Summerside Western CapitalsMJAHL441926456
2004–05Gatineau OlympiquesQMJHL451161727
2005–06Gatineau OlympiquesQMJHL1502218
2005–06Prince Edward Island RocketQMJHL341511264962136
2006–07Prince Edward Island RocketQMJHL6530508010574596
2007–08Prince Edward Island RocketQMJHL693852905244374
2007–08Texas BrahmasCHL50009
2008–09Ontario ReignECHL682127483973580
2009–10Manchester MonarchsAHL37591455
2009–10Ontario ReignECHL267162320
2010–11Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL70111930102121348
2011–12Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL68182644114121454
2012–13Lake Erie MonstersAHL515152055
2013–14Syracuse CrunchAHL4362856
2013–14Florida EverbladesECHL66392
2014–15Ontario ReignECHL3512142631
2014–15Missouri MavericksECHL256111720
2015–16Reading RoyalsECHL51560
2016–17HC FassaAlpsHL3321355624
2016–17Sheffield SteelersEIHL154711743250
2017–18Indy FuelECHL62464
2017–18Guildford FlamesEIHL351519343220330
AHL totals26945711163822427912

International

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Great and powerful forward to Frankfurt . Löwen Frankfurt . 2015-06-15 . 2015-06-15 . German . 2015-06-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150617233420/http://www.loewen-frankfurt.de/aktuelles/details/article/gross-und-kraefitg-power-forward-geoff-walker-wird-ein-loewe . dead .
  2. Web site: Geoff Walker is not coming, new plans underway . Löwen Frankfurt . 2015-08-01 . 2015-08-01 . German . 2017-09-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170912102104/http://www.loewen-frankfurt.de/aktuelles/details/article/geoff-walker-kommt-nicht-weiterer-neuzugang-geplant/ . dead .
  3. Web site: Logan Pyett and Geoff Walker signed to AHL contracts . . 2015-08-21 . 2015-08-21.
  4. Web site: Geoff Walker klar för Tingsryds AIF . Tingsryds AIF . April 19, 2016 . June 18, 2016 . Swedish.
  5. Web site: Walker added to Steelers roster . . 2017-02-05 . 2017-02-05 .
  6. Web site: Steelers confirm Walker and Franzon exit . . 2017-04-05 . 2017-04-05 .
  7. Web site: Fuel land high scoring veteran forward Geoff Walker . . 2017-08-17 . 2017-08-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170912102357/https://www.indyfuelhockey.com/fuel-land-high-scoring-veteran-forward-geoff-walker . 2017-09-12 . dead .
  8. Web site: Wildcats are pleased to announce hiring of GM/Coach . hintonwildcats.ca . 2018-06-22 . 2018-06-22 . 2018-11-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181105012102/https://www.hintonwildcats.ca/news/wildcats-are-pleased-to-announce-the-hiring-of-gen . dead .
  9. Web site: Canton names Geoff Walker as Head Coach and GM . NA3HL . April 23, 2019.
  10. Web site: Geoff Walker dubbed Head Coach! . Bellingham Blazers . April 25, 2019.
  11. Web site: MINERS HIRE NEW HEAD COACH/GM . Red Lake Miners . 16 June 2019.