The story of the "Czech" Australian or from Vítkovice to the joy of the Stanley Cup<

11.January 8:39

When st.Louis Blues called out of the farm a month ago, gave him a chance in the fourth line."I'll get on the ice for just a few minutes," he could say.But Nathan Walker is used to such situations, because he never got anything free.On the contrary, thanks to his way of three continents he learned that he must be ready to show what is in it.To prove that even Australian can play hockey.

And so Detroit set a hattrick."It's a great feeling.I always wanted to experience something like that.However, I must not forget my teammates who did a great job, ”said Pokorný even after the Star Party in the NHL.

In the best hockey competition in the world he has played 33 matches in which he scored eleven times.Above all, he became the first Australian hockey player to achieve such a dream to achieve.

”As a kid I have admired the world of the NHL.We enjoyed hockey very much, we played on Gretzky, Kariyu or Jagra, ”recalls Walker with his childhood with an older brother in Sydney.

”As a kid I have admired the world of the NHL.We enjoyed hockey very much, we played on Gretzky, Kariyu or Jagra.”

Yes Sydney.An unconventional place to start a hockey career.Rugby, football or crickets are much more popular in Australia.It is logical, after all, the average annual temperature in Sydney is around 21 degrees Celsius.

But the little Nathan was most impressed by the ice surface.And so much that skating just had to try.He started with hockey at the age of five.”There were about sixteen hockey players around my age at that time.It was great, we trained once a week, played matches at the weekend.But something has changed over time.”

"I thought I wanted more. V Sydney byli i dva slovenští trenéři, jednoho dne za mnou přišli a řekli mi: Poslouchej, jestli chceš dál hrát hokej, jednou přijde chvíle, kdy budeš muset odejít z Austrálie,” popisuje Walker zlomový okamžik jeho kariéry.

Vítkovice?At least you'll see how you are, they told him

”We can arrange Tryout in the Vítkovice team.And you can bounce off, at least you will see how you are, ”heard a thirteen -year -old hockey player.”That was the first step. Začal jsem o tom přemýšlet a uvědomil jsem si, že to chci zkusit,” řekl australský průkopník v podcastu The Spittin Chiclects.

But the beginnings in the Czech Republic were definitely not easy.”There were not many people in English, but I was in the Czech Republic for hockey. A to mi pomáhalo a drželo mě nad vodou v těžkých časech,” vysvětluje Walker a používá anglický výraz „shitty times”.After all, he was only thirteen years old, he did not know anyone in Ostrava and was from home to 16,000 kilometers away from home.

"Sure, moving so soon it was challenging.But I didn't regret.Who knows, later I wouldn't have decided.And most of all I would miss a few years of hockey development.” V mládeži Vítkovic totiž k hokeji začal přistupovat opravdu profesionálně.He succeeded at the rehearsal, even elevated the Walker and played nearly 200 matches for the youth and juniors.

Gradual steps got closer to his big dream.”At the age of fifteen, I have already played against twenty -year -old juniors.It was quite challenging but it helped me a lot.And of course it was something completely different than at home in Australia.”

This was true with all the trimmings.Nathan first lived with a Czech family, which was made by many funny events.”They didn't speak English, the communication was mainly complex at the beginning.Sometimes they may have cooked me dinner, but I didn't know about it because we didn't talk much together.Instead of being cool at home, I dinner in a restaurant. Ale nakonec jsme si na sebe zvykli a vždycky se nějak domluvili – takzvaně rukama nohama,” směje se Walker.

But even his coaches could not speak English.”The idea of the old school coats has fulfilled perfectly.But at least the junior coach showed an effort to look for some basic words on the Internet. Jednou pak za mnou přišel a snažil se mluvit anglicky, což byl velký zážitek,” baví se Nathan při vzpomínce na mládežnická léta ve Vítkovicích.

"The hockey team manager gave me meal vouchers to buy food.But I didn't secrete the menu in Czech, so I always guessed.”

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He himself says that despite the language barrier, he appreciates how the local people received him. "The hockey team manager gave me meal vouchers to buy food.But I didn't secrete the menu in Czech, so I always guessed.” Jednou si takto náhodně vybral smažená játra, což pro něj byl očividně hororový zážitek, když o nich vypráví i v podcastu.

But what could you do when the phones at that time were not at the level that Nathan could use the translator.”Maybe the lady in the shop soon understood that I couldn't speak Czech.And one day she helped me choose those foods that were good. Příště už jsem tak věděl, co mám kupovat, a čemu se radši vyhnout,” směje se znovu Walker, který se po třech sezonách v juniorském hokeji dočkal i premiéry na vyšší úrovni.

In the 2011/12 season he played the extra league for the first time, introducing himself at the well -known Spengler Cup.It was just a 17 -year -old Australian who scored the first goal of the Ostrava team at the Swiss tournament.He simply captivated between the elite.

In less than two seasons he played 55 matches in the Extraliga, and on short hosts he was also in Olomouc or Šumperk.In addition, thanks to engagement in Europe, he realized he was real, to go to his big dream.And so Nathan moved to another continent, specifically to North America, where he tried Ushl.

"I voluntarily took two steps back so I could do three forward.”

"I voluntarily took two steps back so I could do three forward,” přirovnává Walker další důležité rozhodnutí své kariéry.Suddenly only junior hockey played again.

At that time, Washington Capitals were already circling around him who even invited him to the camp twice.He could not sign the contract with them at that time, but he scored in Ushl in almost every match.And the next season started on the Capitals farm, in Hershey Bears.A nineteen -year -old attacker won at least the AHL contract, which began his American fairy tale.

Did it again.He got used to a higher level again, he improved again.And after two seasons he grew up in the leader of the team again when he scored 41 times in 73 matches.

Solid productivity repeated a year later.And then it came - 7.October 2017.For ten years he played hockey far from home, tried to manage a complex independent life, tried to improve on the ice.All with the only goal.

He has seen him in the Washington jersey that drafted it in 2014.What's more, he immediately made a goal!Of course, he did all of this as the first Australian in history, but did not overestimate his first point, after all he did not even know that he had won it. „Odrazila se mi střela od zadku,” směje se Nathan Walker.

„Uviděl jsem své jméno v sestavě a říkal jsem si: Pane bože, to není možné, já budu hrát!”

After more than four years of this moment, he also scored the first hattrick.He is 27 years old, with his girlfriend awaiting baby.For your native country is something like Gretzky.Like the best hockey player of history, he contributed to the development of ice hockey on the west coast of the US, inspires Nathan Walker young Australians.

And a big role model may be for Kalea Costa, 19 -year -old Talent Pardubice, who has already tasted the extra -league atmosphere in four matches.He also started with hockey in Sydney, where he comes from.

But back to Walker, who can also boast of the Stanley Cup profit.In 2018 he also intervened in the play off, where he immediately pointed to himself in a single match with assistance.

”I saw my name in the line -up and I thought to myself: Lord God, it's not possible, I'll play!At that time, Hershey and I did not advance to the play off so I was more than a month without a sharp match.But the nervousness gradually fell, I have prepared well.And most of all the atmosphere was absolutely amazing… I was incredibly grateful that I could experience it.”

He just dreamed about that as he started with hockey in a distant Sydney as a five -year -old.

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