NATHAN Walker reckons it's been almost two decades since the last time he played at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium.
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Walker, flying an Aussie flag in the National Hockey League (NHL) and preparing for a fifth season with US franchise St Louis Blues, performed the ceremonial puck drop at Saturday's sold-out finals game between the Newcastle Northstars and Perth Thunder.
"The last time I skated on this ice I would have been eight or nine at a state championship," rinkside Walker told the Newcastle Herald.
"It's great to see so many people come out for a game in Australia. It's unreal. The sport is only growing."
Walker said he was looking forward to next month's historic NHL visit to Melbourne, featuring two exhibition matches between Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes at Rod Laver Arena.
"It's going to bring so much exposure for the country and the sport," he said.
The 29-year-old, a former Sydney Ice Dog, made his NHL debut in 2017 with the Washington Capitals going onto claim the Stanley Cup. He has 111 NHL appearances, more than half of them for St Louis last season.
"We've got a good team [St Louis] and hopefully we can make a decent run and have a good crack at the cup," Walker said.
Melbourne Mustangs beat Brisbane Lightning 8-3 on Sunday, marking the end of the first play-off round.
Perth and Mustangs now progress to a top-four showdown with defending champions Canberra and Sydney Bears in Melbourne this weekend.
IN THE NEWS:
Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
