ASU hockey senior forward Johnny Walker has positioned himself as one of the most effective on-ice contributors in the NCAA in his first three seasons in Tempe, totaling 60 goals and 36 assists in that time.
Walker's effects within the Sun Devils program does not just come in the form of elite goal scoring at the NCAA level; it comes in many different streams.
"To put (his importance to the program) into a couple (of) sentences wouldn’t justify what he’s done and how much he’s meant to our success," ASU hockey head coach Greg Powers said. "He’s become really the face of our program in every way."
Walker, a Phoenix native, has solidified himself as one of the most effective goal-scorers in college hockey. He finished eighth in the country in goals during the 2019-20 season and sixth the year before that.
The numbers are impressive, but Walker sees more to his game than just statistics.
"I’ve never been like a big numbers guy or, ‘I wanna score this many goals,’ or anything like that," Walker said. "I’m just focused and concerned on what I have to do and what I can do to make my teammates better and give us the best chance to win every night.”
Fortunately, that mentality has paid off well for ASU, a program that has posted consecutive 20-plus win seasons — 21 in 2018-19 and 22 in 2019-20.
The growth of the program produces positive impact that is felt in many ways. Players and the program receive better recognition, helping the program draw stronger recruits. Those two things help the program in achieving the coveted goal of winning a national championship.
Such is the case with Walker, who attended the Columbus Blue Jackets' development camp during the summer of 2018 after his 24-point freshman season.
Blue Jackets assistant coach Kenny McCudden, who has known Walker's name since the latter competed and won the United States Hockey League Championship with the Chicago Steel in 2017, said one talent Walker has that jumps off the page was his goal-scoring ability.
"To be in a development camp… you can invite hundreds (of players), but he was part of a select few of about 40 to 45 players that did extremely well," McCudden said.
McCudden saw instant potential and maturity in the forward, saying he has established "pro habits" that would serve him well in the future.
"You can see the reps that he would take during a practice over a certain drill, and his reps were getting stronger because he was working at it to get stronger," McCudden said. "You could see where he wanted to be a better player, and that impressed me right off the bat."
As Walker continued his collegiate career, his behavior only continued to grow with ASU, and it was noticed, especially by Powers.
"He’s the most competitive kid that I’ve ever coached," Powers said. "He’s not afraid to show emotion and be himself on the ice, off the ice, in the room, in the community. He’s a really likable, loveable kid in every way and he plays like he lives."
Walker, an alternate captain on the team, hopes to set as strong of a standard as he can for himself in what could be his final stint as a college hockey player.
"I am a strong believer that, as long as I am doing my job and working to get better every single day, all that extra stuff will take care of itself," he said. "As long as we are playing hard and winning games, it’s going to be hard for people to count us out."
Though Walker has his eyes fixated on this season, a potential future in professional hockey looms on his horizon. McCudden believes Walker provides a unique attribute as a player that could help land him in a professional organization.
"Right now, he’s an impact player with ASU, which is terrific; it gets him seen, it gets him recognition, but, what really gets him recognition is he is evasive. He’s slippery. He gets there in his own little way with his skating stride," McCudden said. "His hands and the way he maneuvers his body to be able to change the angle on the shot is what makes Johnny Walker special."
In terms of having a professional hockey career, Walker isn't paying his attention much on the subject; his sight is set on the 2020-21 season. While he has the option to return to ASU for the 2021-22 season due to eligibility extensions, he hasn't expelled it from the realm of possibility.
"What’s going to happen (in the future), as long as I am doing what I should, should take care of itself," Walker said. "I’m just really trying to stay focused on helping this team be successful right now and when the time comes, to address the next level."
Reach the reporters at aklatsky@asu.edu and follow @averyklatsky on Twitter.
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