Nathan Walker has been through this rodeo enough to not get to disappointed about anything.
When the 29-year-old didn't make the St. Louis Blues roster out of training camp this season, he went to Springfield of the American Hockey League and turned into an offensive machine with linemates Adam Gaudette and Matthew Peca.
"You always come into camp with that feeling that you want to play in the NHL, make the roster and what not, but it was what it was, it is what it is," Walker said after practice Tuesday at Centene Community Ice Center. "I wasn't hanging my head or anything. I just went down there, played some hockey and then ended up back here for now."
Walker, who was leading the Thunderbirds in assists (16) and points (29) through 30 games, has enough frequent flier miles to last a lifetime between the AHL and NHL. He's done this with the Blues in Springfield and San Antonio and with Hershey while he was with the Washington Capitals.
"I was fortunate enough to play with some good players down there too," Walker said. "I think it's definitely thanks to them. The stats kind of show that. We a team, I think we're doing pretty well as well. It's good for the guys too.
"Pretty much from Game 1, we've found some good chemistry together and it's just kind of stuck."
But he was called up on Monday when the Blues assigned Mackenzie MacEachern back to the minors in a move interim coach Drew Bannister hinted that the Blues need a spark in a particular area.
"He's a very similar player to what 'Mac' brought to us in being direct," said Bannister who had Walked in Springfield before he was brought up to coach the Blues Dec. 12. "I think he's a little quicker in the sense where I think he can get to spots a little bit earlier. Probably brings a little bit more of an offensive side to the game than 'Mac' did.
"We have to find a way to get secondary scoring and I think bringing him up is going to give us an opportunity to be able to use him in those situations. He plays a direct game. He's quick, he's going to help out on our forecheck, he's going to help out recovering pucks. All things right now that are lacking a little bit that we have to get better in and he can drive that for us."
Walker played on the Thunderbirds' top line. In practice Tuesday, he was skating with Oskar Sundqvist and Sammy Blais on the fourth line.
"I'm going to play the same as I did in the AHL," Walker said. "Obviously it might be a little bit less of a role, but I'm not going to change who I am.
"It's nice coming back to some familiarity. I think that's definitely going to help."
Walker is a fan favorite in St. Louis for his work ethic and reliability. However long he sticks, he'll give it his all and won't take for granted he does have 111 games' worth of NHL experience.
"I just want to try and do my part here so we can start stringing some wins together," Walker said. "I never expected to be on an NHL team. You always have to earn it. Maybe it can't go the way I always want it to, but that's just the way it is."
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