Gordie Walker Couldn't Stump Me

A co-worker thought he finally had me stumped.

"I met a former NHLer the other day that even you haven't heard of," he beamed.

I took the bait. "Oh yeah, who's that?"

"A guy named Gordie Walker. He's got a construction business now and he's up here building some house," he said proudly.

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Gordie Walker. He played for the Kings briefly. Right around the time Gretzky arrived. He wore 45, I think. Yeah, I remember him."

"Wow, you really do know your hockey," he conceded.

I agreed, though I didn't actually say that. I just continued.

"He's a BC kid, from the Kootenays somewhere."

Castlegar, to be exact.

"Played for the Rangers, too, I think."

He did. 19 games over two seasons before being traded to the Kings with Mike Siltala in exchange for tough guy Joe Paterson.

"He's got a kid, Luke, I believe, who was playing in one of those former Yugoslavian countries last I heard."

Medveščak Zagreb of the KHL. I think I can be forgiven for not knowing the exact team name. It's in Croatia, by the way.

Luke was also drafted by the NHL - 139th overall by Colorado back in 2010.

That's about all I knew Gordie Walker, off the top of my head. Not bad, if I may say so myself.

Now I know he's in the home building business.