Tucson Roadrunners Add Forward Sammy Walker Following Trade by Utah Hockey Club

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Des Moines, Iowa: Iowa Wild forward Sammy Walker celebrates after scoring against the Rockford IceHogs at Wells Fargo Arena on December 11, 2024. (photo credit: Tim Garland/Iowa Wild Photographer)

Tucson, Arizona – The Utah Hockey Club announced today that they have acquired forward Sammy Walker from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for future considerations and assigned Walker to the Tucson Roadrunners.

Walker, 25, has appeared in 30 games with the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League (AHL) during the 2024-25 season, recording two goals and nine assists for 11 points, along with 23 penalty minutes.  

A native of Edina, Minnesota, Walker was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the seventh round (200th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. After completing his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota, he opted to become a free agent and signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild on August 18, 2022. Since then, he has split time between the NHL and AHL.

In his professional career, Walker has played in 13 NHL games, registering one goal and one assist. In the AHL, he has appeared in 156 games, tallying 43 goals and 61 assists for 104 points.  

Walker made an immediate impact in his first AHL season, setting Iowa rookie records for goals (27), power-play goals (9), and plus-minus (+19) in 2022-23. He was also named AHL Rookie of the Month in Nov. 2022 and was selected to the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic. He followed that up by leading Iowa in both assists (31) and points (45) during the 2023-24 campaign.

Before turning pro, Walker played four seasons at the University of Minnesota, serving as the team’s captain for three years—the first three-year captain in program history. As a senior, he notched a career-high 14 goals and added 13 assists for 27 points, helping the Gophers win the 2021-22 Big Ten Regular Season Championship and advance to the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time since 2014. In 144 career NCAA games, he recorded 48 goals and 64 assists for 112 points.

The Roadrunners are excited to add Walker’s skill and experience to their lineup as they continue their push in the Pacific Division playoff race.