Kurt Walker (June 10, 1954 – August 17, 2018) was an American professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

player who played 71 games in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL) for the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

between 1976 and 1978.

Career

Walker started his professional career with the Saginaw Gears, of the International Hockey League, in the 1974–75 IHL season. Walker played 71 NHL games, over parts of the 1975–76 through

1977–78 NHL season The 1977–78 NHL season was the 61st season of the National Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens won their third Stanley Cup in a row, defeating the Boston Bruins four games to two in the Stanley Cup Finals. League business Prior to the star ...

s, all with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored his first career NHL goal against the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...

on January 21, 1977. Walker scored 9 points in the NHL and accrued 152 penalty minutes. He closed out his professional career with the

Adirondack Red Wings The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, United States at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the Nation ...

of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...

in the

1979–80 AHL season The 1979–80 AHL season was the 44th season of the American Hockey League. Ten teams were scheduled to play 80 games each. The New Haven Nighthawks finished first overall in the regular season. The Hershey Bears won their sixth Calder Cup champ ...

Post–playing career

Playing as an enforcer throughout his hockey career, Walker required 17 surgeries to repair injuries. He criticized the NHL Alumni organization, which he claimed did not support retired players enough financially. As a result, he created an organization called Dignity after Hockey to raise awareness and funds to provide health care to retired players. In 2017, he added his name to a class-action lawsuit against the NHL alleging neglect of support for players suffering injuries and financial strain once retired.

Death

Walker died in Atlanta, Georgia on August 17, 2018 from

sepsis Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...

.Cooper, Bruce
"Former Maple Leaf Kurt Walker passes at 64"
HockeyBuzz.com

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

References

External links

* 1954 births 2018 deaths American men's ice hockey right wingers Binghamton Dusters players Dallas Black Hawks players Deaths from sepsis Ice hockey players from Massachusetts Oklahoma City Blazers (1965–1977) players Saginaw Gears players Sportspeople from Weymouth, Massachusetts Syracuse Firebirds players Toronto Maple Leafs players Tulsa Oilers (1964–1984) players Undrafted National Hockey League players {{US-icehockey-winger-stub