Samuel Walker (born June 7, 1999) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL).[1][2] He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning with the 200th overall selection.
| Sammy Walker | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
(1999-06-07) June 7, 1999 (age 23) Edina, Minnesota | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Minnesota Wild Iowa Wild (AHL) | ||
| NHL Draft |
200th overall, 2017 Tampa Bay Lightning | ||
| Playing career | 2022–present | ||
Walker played for Edina High School for four seasons where he finished with 167 points. He was selected in his first year of eligibility by the Tampa Bay Lightning with their seventh round selection, 200th overall, in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Walker was the team captain his senior year. After the 2017–18 season, he won the Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award.[3]
He began his collegiate hockey career for the University of Minnesota during the 2018–19 season and in playing his full collegiate tenure with the Golden Gophers he became the first three-year captain in school history.
At the conclusion of his collegiate career, Walker opted to become a free agent after declining to sign with draft club, the Tampa Bay Lightning. On August 18, 2022, he opted to sign with home state team, the Minnesota Wild, in agreeing to a two-year, entry-level contract.[4] After attending his first Wild training camp and pre-season, Walker was re-assigned to begin his professional career in the AHL with affiliate the Iowa Wild to open the 2022–23 season.[5]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2014–15 | Edina High | MNHS | 25 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Edina High | MNHS | 25 | 19 | 18 | 37 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | Edina High | MNHS | 25 | 22 | 24 | 46 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | Lincoln Stars | USHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Edina High | MNHS | 25 | 28 | 30 | 58 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 2017–18 | Sioux City Musketeers | USHL | 17 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | University of Minnesota | B1G | 37 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | University of Minnesota | B1G | 37 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | University of Minnesota | B1G | 31 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | University of Minnesota | B1G | 38 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NCAA totals | 144 | 48 | 64 | 112 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| Big Ten Freshman of the Year | 2019 | [6] |
| Big Ten Freshmen Team | ||
| Frank Pond Rookie of the Year | [7] | |
| Preseason All-Big Ten Second Team | [8] | |
| All-Big Ten Honorable Mention | 2020 | [9] |
| John Mariucci Most Valuable Player | ||
| All-Big Ten Academic Team | ||
| Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Team | 2021 | [10] |
| Big Ten All-Tournament Team | ||
| AHCA All-American Scholar | [11] | |
| Big Ten Distinguished Scholar | [12] | |
| Academic All-Big Ten Team | [13] | |
| Preseason All-Big Ten First Team | 2022 | |
| Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Team | [14] | |
| Big Ten Sportsmanship Award | ||
| Senior CLASS Award First Team | ||
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minnesota Mr. Hockey 2018 |
Succeeded by Bryce Brodzinski |
| Preceded by Mitchell Lewandowski |
Big Ten Freshman of the Year 2018–19 |
Succeeded by |