Forward Johnny Walker has announced his retirement from professional hockey via an Instagram post today after spending parts of three seasons in the ECHL with the Utah Grizzlies and Allen Americans. In 65 regular season games in the ECHL, he would put up 19 goals and 13 assists for 32 points, along with 303 penalty minutes, including five goals and five assists for 10 points in 21 games with the Americans this past season. He would also play in five Kelly Cup Playoff games but would fail to find the scoresheet. The 27-year-old began the 2023-24 season in England with the Dundee Stars, where he put up a goal and an assist in eight games before the two sides parted ways, and he would head back to the ECHL to join the Americans.
Prior to going pro, Walker spent two seasons with Chicago Steel in the USHL, where he scored 17 goals and 13 assists for 30 points in 44 games and won the Clark Cup with the Steel in 2017. The Arizona native would go to home close by a nearby Arizona State University, where he would put up 70 goals and 53 assists for 123 points in 139 games with the Sun Devils, including back-to-back 20 goals seasons during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, he would be the captain of the Sun Devils during the 2020-21 season. Despite retiring from the game, Walker mentioned that he will still be doing private lessons that can be booked through his website.
