Leeds Knights netminder Harrison Walker making great strides in his development

The 20-year-old Bradford-born goalie seized his opportunity with both hands against Yorkshire rivals Hull Seahawks on Sunday night at Elland Road Ice Arena when asked to deputise for Knights’ No 1 Sam Gospel.

Walker - who only found out shortly before face-off that he would be starting - turned away all but one of the 19 shots fired on his net by the visitors, his defences eventually breached when Cameron Hamill broke free down the left-hand side early in the third period and beat him from the top of the left circle.

But that was the only time the former Bradford Bulldogs’ junior had to drag the puck from the back of his net as the Knights went on to maintain their grip at the top of the NIHL National standings with a 4-1 win.

It was part of another four-point weekend for the Knights, their first two points coming courtesy of a 10-5 win at Swindon Wildcats the previous evening.

Despite the scoreline, it was Gospel who was by far the busier of the two goalies at the Link Centre, perhaps something that prompted Knights’ head coach Ryan Aldridge into giving his first-choice netminder a well-earned night off.

Walker - who made one appearance last season for the Knights - had been given a brief chance to acclimatise himself to NIHL National life the previous weekend when he played the last few minutes of the Knights’ 7-1 win over Bristol Pitbulls.

It may not seem like much but it will have helped when the time came for him to make his first start in a Knights’ jersey seven days later.

“The reason I came here was to develop my game in order to play at a higher level,” said Walker, who helped Widnes Wild lift the NIHL One North Cup last season. “I had a few minutes last week against Bristol and that helped me for this game. It’s just nice to get on the ice. Gossy is the No 1 goalie in the league but every little bit of ice time is good for me.

“It was important for me as a back-up to get that first 60 minutes under my belt. You don’t want to be leaving it long before you get on the ice, I guess.

“I found out just before the game that I was going in. It was one of those ‘you’re in’ moments and, to be honest, it’s probably better in one way to not to have to think about it too much as I can then just go out there and do my thing.

“I felt alright out there, the team played well and I felt Hull played very well too, but the team all played well in front of me and that makes it 10 times easier when you’re in that net.

“Everything is done properly and Aldy on the bench knows exactly what he is doing and the guys have bought in. So far it is going really well for us.”

His ‘thing’ was impressive, particularly for a short spell in the second period when the Seahawks enjoyed a rare sustained period of time in the Knights’ zone, with Walker called upon to pull off a series of excellent saves.

But it’s not just the competitive ice time where Walker’s game benefits these days, the extra practice sessions - both on and off the ice - that he is now gaining with being at Leeds on a permanent basis, will also bring rewards.

“It is a big plus being on the ice as much as we are,” added Walker. “The quality of players here is unbelievable compared to the lower leagues. It’s just nice to get on the ice more than once a week and really work on my skills and technique and everything else.

“In games, the biggest difference is the speed and the quality of chances that come at you. Every team knows exactly what they are doing and they’ve all got a system and they play to that system.

“Working with Gossy is massive for me and the goalie coach Davey Lawrence who has come in is also a big help, I’m really enjoying my time here.”

When Walker’s next opportunity to start comes along is anyone’s guess. Some observers felt he could have started the recent home game against Bristol Pitbulls but, if that had been on the cards, the fact the Knights slipped to their first defeat of the season the previous night at Milton Keynes Lightning probably put paid to that happening.

It’s a delicate balancing act and one which Walker weighed up carefully having spent the full season in the tier below starting virtually every game for the Wild.

This season is where he felt he needed to make the transition. It means less ice time, but when that ice time comes along, it is at the higher level, against better quality opposition. That will help his development and while there may be a couple of seasons like this - while Gospel remains the No 1 - it should prove better for his game in the long run.

As for his coach, Walker got a big thumbs up for his performance on Sunday night, Ryan Aldridge clearly pleased with his decision to let Gospel man the gate.

“I felt Harrison did really well,” said the Knights head coach. “He did a good job for us. He might want that goal back, I’d have to watch the video, but he was solid. The boys played well in front of him too, which is always a good thing.”