▁Hockey ▁Hall ▁of ▁F amer ▁Cam ▁Ne ely , ▁who ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁Walker ' s ▁close ▁friends . ▁Walker ▁dream ed ▁of ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Hockey ▁League ▁( N HL ) ▁as ▁a ▁go alt ender , ▁only ▁cas ually ▁playing ▁an ▁occas ional ▁baseball ▁game ▁during ▁the ▁summer . ▁He ▁played ▁hockey ▁and ▁vol ley ball ▁at ▁Map le ▁R idge ▁Second ary ▁School ; ▁baseball ▁was ▁not ▁offered . ▁One ▁of ▁his ▁boy hood ▁id ols ▁was ▁N HL ▁goal ie ▁Billy ▁Smith , ▁winner ▁of ▁four ▁consecutive ▁Stanley ▁Cu ps ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 0 − 8 3 ▁during ▁Walker ' s ▁te en age ▁years . ▁Walker ▁sh ar pen ed ▁his ▁skills ▁by ▁blocking ▁sh ots ▁against ▁Ne ely . ▁Bro ther ▁Care y , ▁also ▁a ▁go alt ender , ▁was ▁draft ed ▁by ▁the ▁Montreal ▁Canad iens ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁round ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁N HL ▁D raft . ▁ ▁Junior ▁hockey ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 6 , ▁Walker ▁was ▁offered ▁try outs ▁with ▁Junior ▁A ▁teams ▁in ▁Regin a , ▁S ask atch ew an , ▁and ▁Kel own a , ▁British ▁Columbia , ▁however ▁was ▁cut ▁from ▁both ▁teams . ▁Herbert , ▁however , ▁made ▁the ▁Regin a ▁P ats . ▁Other ▁offers ▁Walker ▁received ▁were ▁from ▁Western ▁Hockey ▁League ▁teams , ▁including ▁Swift ▁Current , ▁which ▁he ▁tou red . ▁After ▁seeing ▁sub standard ▁conditions ▁there , ▁he ▁decided ▁that