Many Canadians were shocked when their countryman, Sean Walker, died on January 28, 2020 due to complications from the coronavirus. He was only 46 years old.
The former captain of the national gold-medal winning hockey team was first diagnosed with COVID-19 while in quarantine in Toronto. At the time, he told reporters, “I feel healthy, apart from the virus, which is really frustrating.”
He was a passionate hockey player who dedicated his life to the sport. He played in the NHL, AHL, and several European countries, most recently for Oulan Beringer of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Forbes has ranked the top twenty NHL players based on their annual performance over the last three seasons (2019–2021). Sean Walker places eighteenth on the list, accumulating $27.8 million in earnings over the course of the last year while playing the sport he loved.
Table of Contents
On Being Sorted Into The ‘Elite Eight’
“[The] ‘Elite Eight,’ a.k.a. the final eight, is a group of players that had the highest career scoring rates in the NHL over the last three years,” explains Forbes. “In 2019–20, the ‘Elite Eight’ includes Connor McDavid, Leon Drai, Victor Hedman, Jakub Voracek, Ryan Jack, and Sean Walker.”
As a member of the ‘Elite Eight,’ Walker will be featured in the 2021 NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis, Missouri.
The magazine explains that McDavid and Drai – both belonging to the Edmonton Oilers – lead the way in 2019–20, with McDavid finishing first and Drai placing second on the season-ending point list. These two franchises will go head-to-head in the NHL’s Western Conference Finals this year. The winner will go on to face the Eastern Conference champion in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.
Walker’s NHL Career
Walker played for the New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, and Florida Panthers throughout his career. He started playing for the Rangers in the 2007–08 season and stayed with the organization until he was traded to the Avalanche in exchange for Gabriel Landeskog at the 2020 NHL trade deadline.
After nine seasons in the AHL and four years in Europe, Walker returned to the NHL for the last season of 2019–20. He notched 24 goals and 34 assists during the regular season and collected 11 goals and 19 assists in the playoffs, helping the Panthers reach the Finals for the first time in fifteen years.
Walker’s Final Season
In his final season in the NHL, Walker played for the Panthers and scored just two goals and two assists in 17 games. Despite playing only seventeen games, he still managed to score more points than he had during any previous season in the NHL. He played in five NHL All-Star Games (2009–2020) and was named to the 2010, 2012, 2014, 2019, and 2020 All-Star Games. He also won a gold medal with Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
On January 28, 2020, Sean Walker was found dead in Toronto. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and his three sons, Bo, Chase, and Cooper.