Matt Walker

Matt Walker (born April 7, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey Defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). During his nine NHL seasons he played for the St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Philadelphia Flyers. He is the younger brother of former WHL player Darby Walker and cousin of former AHL goaltender Mike Walker.
==Playing career==
Walker was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 3rd round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 83rd overall. He spent the first ten years of his professional career with both the Blues and their American Hockey League affiliates, the Worcester IceCats and the Peoria Rivermen. After having played 153 games in the league he finally notched his first NHL goal on February 17, 2008 while the Blues were hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets.
On July 1, 2009, he signed a 4 year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning worth $1.7 million per season.
On July 19, 2010 Walker was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, along with a 4th round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, in exchange for forward Simon Gagne.
Walker's three years in Philadelphia were marred by hip and back injuries, playing in only eight games with the Flyers and 44 games with the Flyers' AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms. He missed the entire 2012-13 season due to a back injury, forcing him to retire.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1997–98 	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL 		64 	2 	13 	15 	124 		16 	0 	0 	0 	21
1998–99 	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL 		64 	1 	10 	11 	151 		4 	0 	1 	1 	6
1999–00 	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL 		38 	2 	7 	9 	97 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–00 	Kootenay Ice 	WHL 		31 	4 	19 	23 	53 		21 	5 	13 	18 	24
2000–01 	Peoria Rivermen 	ECHL 		8 	1 	0 	1 	70 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Worcester IceCats 	AHL 		61 	4 	8 	12 	131 		11 	0 	0 	0 	6
2001–02 	Worcester IceCats 	AHL 		49 	2 	11 	13 	164 		3 	0 	0 	0 	8
2002–03 	Worcester IceCats 	AHL 		40 	1 	8 	9 	58 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		16 	0 	1 	1 	38 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		14 	0 	1 	1 	25 		4 	0 	0 	0 	0
2003–04 	Worcester IceCats 	AHL 		4 	0 	1 	1 	7 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	Worcester IceCats 	AHL 		20 	2 	4 	6 	44 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		54 	0 	2 	2 	79 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		48 	0 	5 	5 	72 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Peoria Rivermen 	AHL 		2 	0 	1 	1 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		43 	1 	1 	2 	61 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 		65 	1 	13 	14 	79 		17 	0 	2 	2 	14
2009–10 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	NHL 		66 	2 	3 	5 	90 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 		4 	0 	0 	0 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Adirondack Phantoms 	AHL 		11 	0 	2 	2 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011-12 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 		4 	0 	0 	0 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011-12 	Adirondack Phantoms 	AHL 		33 	1 	4 	5 	41 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		314 	4 	26 	30 	464 		21 	0 	2 	2 	14
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==External links==
*Matt Walker's stats on hockeydb
Category:Born in 1980
Category:Adirondack Phantoms players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:Kootenay Ice alumni
Category:Memorial Cup winners
Category:Peoria Rivermen players
Category:Peoria Rivermen (ECHL) players
Category:Philadelphia Flyers players
Category:Portland Winterhawks alumni
Category:St. Louis Blues draft picks
Category:St. Louis Blues players
Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players
Category:Worcester IceCats players
Category:Retired in 2012