Caps’ Walker becomes first Australian ever drafted

The Capitals tweeted this picture after selecting Walker in the third round.

The Washington Capitlals made history on Saturday when they selected Australian winger Nathan Walker with the 89th pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.

Walker became the first Australian ever to be drafted by an NHL team, and he is joining an organization that is very familiar with his game.

After attending training camp with the Capitals last season, Walker signed a deal with Washington’s AHL affiliate in Hershey, where he registered five goals and six assists with 40 penalty minutes in 43 games. He was the first Australian to ever play in the league.

Prior to joining Hershey, the 20-year-old spent six years in the Czech Republic before signing with the USHL’s Youngston Phantoms in January 2013.

The five-foot-10, 185-pound winger was passed on in the previous two drafts. He was born in Cardiff, Wales, but grew up in Australia.

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