Nathan Walker becomes first Australian to record point in NHL playoffs, and a great trivia subject

With an assist in Game 6 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals left winger Nathan Walker became the first Australian-born player to record a point in the NHL playoffs.

When I personally found this out, my mind was blown. In fact, I bet a lot of hockey fans will have their minds blown by this. But Washington Capitals forward Nathan Walker is the first NHL player from Australia to even play in this league.

Folks, the NHL has been around since 1917. How does that happen? Or not happen, we suppose you could ask. Here is the goal he assisted on against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

That pass, though. Talk about putting the shrimp right on the barbie.

Not only was that historical, but he did it in his first playoff tilt as well. Walker, in his four years since being drafted by the Caps, hasn’t played much. In fact, he played two games for the Edmonton Oilers this year. Then he went right back to Washington, where he played in seven games and recorded a lone goal.

We are thoroughly surprised to have never seen an Australian make an appearance in the NHL before. We hope to see some change soon. Recently, Nicholas J. Cotsonika detailed how the Vegas Golden Knights are helping to draw fans from across the world, including Australia, where bars open at 7 and 8 a.m. so that locals can watch the Golden Knights play serious hockey.

Ron Kantowski also had a write-up about a remarkable fan from Perth, Australia, who traveled nearly 10,000 miles to watch Vegas in-person. We talk a lot about growing the game of hockey, and these small steps count for something. Seeing Nathan Walker record an assist counts both on the stat sheet and for global awareness in regards to this excellent game. Keep it up, mate!

Next: 25 most bizarre goalie masks in NHL history

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