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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 13 MHJ // The Gophers held Edina Community Night in November. What did that mean to you? Walker // It was super fun to go back to Edina and help coach the kids for a little bit. They look up to you. Growing up in Minnesota, they're watching us and it's their goal to make it this far. To go back and give them tips and stuff to work on, it's pretty special. MHJ // Did the coach- es in Edina have a big impact on you and your development? Walker // Curt Giles, my high school coach, was unbelievable. He taught me so much. He taught me to be good off the ice, to be a good person and give back to the community. MHJ // As the captain, what are some leadership qualities that you believe are important? Walker // Being a leader is day to day. Every day you're treating the guys the same. You need to create a good environment in the locker room and make sure everyone feels welcome. MHJ // Any advice for youth hockey players after a tough game or shift? Walker // It's hockey. You're going to have your ups and downs. You have to learn not to get too high or too low. You're not going to go out every game and score a million goals. Keep it even-keeled on good days and bad. When things get down, you take a look at what you did well and what you can do bet- ter next time, and then you keep going. ? F POSITION: THE WALKER FILE HEIGHT: COLLEGE: University of Minnesota 5'11" HOMETOWN: IN A GAME DOMINATED BY SPEED, Sammy Walker stands out. Don't blink when the Edina native fires up the jets—you might miss a game-breaking play. The Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick shared his thoughts on speed, creating turnovers, leader- ship and more. MHJ // How'd you get so fast? Sammy Walker // I focus a lot on speed and agility drills on and off the ice. I was always kind of gifted with speed but I've definitely put in time to work on it and get better at it. I'll tell you this: The game is all speed now. You look at the NHL today—everyone's fast. You have to be fast to make it far. MHJ // Do you try to throttle that speed and use it to deceive opponents? Walker // Yes, for sure. If you're fast, it's not that help- ful going a hundred miles an hour and not really going anywhere. You have to use it to your advantage. You have to be smart with it. MHJ // You're not just offensive-minded. You're constantly hounding opponents, stripping them of the puck and creating turnovers. There must be some satisfaction you take when you do that. Walker // For sure. When a guy's coming up the rink and not really expecting it, and you pickpocket them and leave them in the dust, it's definitely a good feel- ing. Turning pucks over and getting back on the fore- check, then you start to feel good about your game and you'll start to get some chances. MHJ // What Gophers did you admire growing up? Walker // I went to a ton of games. The ones that stuck out to me were Jay Barriball, Blake Wheeler, Phil Kessel, Kyle Rau. Those are the guys I grew up watching. FUN FACT: 7th Round Pick (No. 200 overall) for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017 Photos / Brace Hemmelgarn, Ben Ludeman/University of Minnesota Athletics, Jim Rosvold Edina Sammy Walker was the first Edina native to win the Mr. Hockey Award. Former North Stars defenseman Curt Giles.