Kurt Walker, whose toughness and willingness to defend teammates got him to the NHL in the 1970s, later founded Dignity After Hockey, which sought medical coverage and care for former players in need.
Kurt Walker was never one to shy from a challenge as a player, and he was always there to address any opponent who dared challenge one of his teammates.
He stayed the same long after his professional hockey career ended.
Walker, born in Weymouth and raised on the South Shore (he attended Hingham High School), died on Friday in Atlanta after a brief illness. He was 64.
His pro career, which spanned 1974-75 through 1979-80, included 71 NHL games over three seasons with the Maple Leafs.
In retirement, Walker founded Dignity After Hockey, a charitable organization that sought and provided medical coverage and care for former players who had been unable to receive it through the NHL, the NHL Players Association or the NHL Alumni Association.
“Not only did he protect his teammates on the ice, but Kurt was that kind of guy off the ice, too,” said Steve Baker, who was raised in Quincy and Braintree, played at Archbishop Williams High School, and made 57 NHL appearances in goal for the Rangers between 1979-80 and ’82-83. “It was wonderful what he was able to do through creating Dignity After Hockey.”
A 6-foot-3, 200-pound defenseman, Walker was one of the relatively few American players to reach the NHL in the 1970s. After playing locally at the junior level, he spent a season with Sherbrooke in Canada’s Major Junior system before turning pro with Saginaw of the International Hockey League in 1974-75.
A year later, he played his first five NHL games for the Leafs, and also made six playoff appearances.
At every level, Walker’s calling card was physical, fearless play that often resulted in fights. He collected 142 penalty minutes over just 36 games with Sherbrooke, and logged 49 over those first five NHL games with the Maple Leafs. Walker took on the likes of famed Flyer Dave Schultz and Bruins fan favorite Stan Jonathan while in the NHL.
“Kurt was a kid who was self-made,” said Bob Sylvia, the former Quincy High School coach who coached Walker in the local junior ranks.
“He was a good player, but you wouldn’t have watched him as a kid and said, ‘Here’s a future NHL player.’ He had a dream, though, and he was willing to do anything he could. Whatever it took, he was willing to make the sacrifice, and it worked for him. He beat the odds.”
Walker was there to encourage those with the same dream.
“I met Kurt when I was playing in the Hingham Pro-Am League,” said Doug Smith, the Hanover native whose experience as a minor-league enforcer without any previous organized experience in hockey led to his book, “Goon,” and two based-on feature films. “He thought what I was doing was the greatest thing.
“He always encouraged me to keep working hard, keep skating, keep working at my craft,” said Smith, who went on to a 21-year career as an assistant hockey coach at Hanover High School. “And through Kurt Walker, I met other people who were able to open doors for me.”
Walker’s ultimate legacy will undoubtedly be his efforts to open doors for former NHLers in need of medical care and coverage. Dignity After Hockey raised money through donations and sponsorships, and raised awareness of the struggles faced by many retired players.
“I started Dignity After Hockey because I found out that a lot of players who played in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s didn’t have health insurance,” Walker said in a 2016 interview with Canadian broadcaster SportsNet. “There were a lot of guys who were getting older who had some serious injuries that needed to be addressed, who had started to really, really break down, physically.
“My health care was non-existent, and I knew I wasn’t alone. … So that was my mission — to find a way to help all these guys.”
Baker, a former scout for the Lightning who has held executive positions in the sports broadcasting industry and is now general manager of Richman Media Group near Scottsdale, Arizona, doesn’t want Walker’s mission to go unfulfilled.
“A lot of us have been emailing and texting back and forth,” Baker said. “We’re going to see to it that this thing continues, and grows, and supports a lot of people who are in need of help.
“I call him a warrior for mankind — that’s who Kurt Walker was. He’s not going to be forgotten, nor is Dignity After Hockey.”
Be the first to comment