How did defenseman Sean Walker wind up with Carolina Hurricanes? It was a ‘whirlwind’

Sean Walker once played for the Newmarket Hurricanes.

As of Monday, he’s a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, signing a free-agent contract.

But Walker’s path from Newmarket to Carolina has been a challenging one, a proving ground of how much the sport meant to him and how relentlessly the defenseman was willing to work to earn a living in it and compete at the highest level.

“Definitely one of the more unconventional paths to the NHL,” Walker said Tuesday on a media call.

Walker, 29, isn’t a big guy. A native of Keswick, Ontario, he went undrafted by Ontario Hockey League teams. He would be undrafted by any NHL team.

What he did do was go to Bowling Green, where he played college hockey for four years and was the team captain the last two. A strong senior season earned him a call from the Los Angeles Kings, whose management group included two Bowling Green alumni, general manager Rob Blake and Nelson Emerson.

The Kings liked his skating and competitiveness. Walker was offered the chance to play with the Ontario Reign in the American Hockey League — his only pro offer.

“It was a great opportunity for me and I took it and ran with it,” Walker said.

He played his way onto the Kings roster and was with Los Angeles for five NHL seasons before being traded last summer to the Philadelphia Flyers.

“A little whirlwind there.” Walker said of his time with the Kings. “Some injuries came up and some people took some ice time.”

Walker was hit in the face by a Matt Dumba slap shot, fracturing an orbital bone and requiring five hours of surgery. He also tore an ACL after a collision with David Perron of the St. Louis Blues.

“The trade to Philly was really a second chance for me to show the league I could still really play in this league and be effective,” he said.

When the Colorado Avalanche was looking to make a move before the trade deadline this past season, the Avs picked up Walker from the Flyers. After the Stanley Cup playoffs ended for Colorado, Walker soon was a free agent.

Then came another call — from the Carolina Hurricanes, offering a five-year contract that will pay an average of $3.6 million a year. The 5-11, 191-pound D-man had a new home, a new team.

After the Canes lost defensemen Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei in free agency Monday, they added Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere, and at a reasonable price. Gostisbehere, 31, had 10 goals and 46 assists last season with the Detroit Red Wings, and Walker 10 goals and 19 assists with the Flyers and Avs.

For Gostisbehere, it will be a return to Carolina, which signed him Monday to a three-year deal that pays $3.2 million a year. The Canes traded for him during the 2022-23 season, looking to bolster the power play, and he played 23 regular-season games and 11 playoff games for Carolina.

“I want to help the team any way I can,” Gostisbehere said Wednesday on a media call. “It might be different from my first tenure at Carolina. I was just trying to jump on board and fit in. Obviously, I had a great year offensively (with Detroit) and I want to bring a little more offense this time at Carolina and just add something from the back end that maybe we haven’t had before.”

Gostisbehere and Walker could be the Canes’ third pairing next season — Walker a right-shot D and Gostisbehere the lefty. But all that will be sorted out in preseason camp.

“I think their style of play is really going to fit what I can bring to the team – aggressive, fast,” Walker said Tuesday. “I think that’s something I have in my game. I think I’m a pretty good skater and definitely offensive-minded. At the same time, I think I’ve really grown with my defensive game.”

Walker chuckled, saying, “The team is so competitive. I’m really looking forward to not playing against all those guys anymore.”

In a sport where everyone seems to know everyone, Walker said he has had an association with just one Hurricanes player: forward Brendan Lemieux. He said he would use Lemieux as a sounding board for some intel on the team.

Walker played under coaches John Stevens and Todd McLellan in Los Angeles. Then came John Tortorella in Philly and, more briefly, Jared Bednar in Colorado.

Now, it will be Rod Brind’Amour. New coach, new team, new system to learn.

Walker said he’s ready for it.

“I’m eager to meet the group,” he said. “I think my style fits the group, as well, so I hope the transition is as easy as possible. I’m excited to be on a team that has a chance to win.”

Canes sign Carrier, Stillman

The Hurricanes on Wednesday completed its deal with free-agent forward William Carrier, who received a six-year contract with an average salary of $2 million per season. ...

The Canes also signed defenseman Riley Stillman to a one-year, two-way contract. Stillman, who has 158 games of NHL experience, is the son of Cory Stillman, the former Canes forward who was a member of the 2006 Stanley Cup champions.

Stillman, 26, has played for Florida, Vancouver, Chicago and Buffalo in his career. He will earn $775,000 at the NHL level and $150,000 at the AHL level, with a $350,000 guarantee.