Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer
“It’s different to be on this side of things, but it makes me almost cheer harder for these guys that were my brothers on the ice,” Walker said. “Now I just want to see them do bigger, better things, and I’m here trying to support them in any role that I can.”
Walker played 43 games last season, but says health was a deciding factor in why he chose to end his playing career after three years in the ECHL.
In 2023-24 Walker sustained a couple of significant injuries and “didn’t know if it would be the smartest thing for me to play another year of hockey.”
“As the offseason and summer progressed, it was apparent that my body — physically, mentally, and emotionally — was just done with competing at such a high level, and it was in the best interest of me and my family to be done playing,” Walker said.
“It was definitely a tough decision. I wanted to play again. I was leaning toward playing again for a while, but the way the cards stacked up it just didn’t seem like the right decision.”
Walker was seeking a job in New Jersey, where his wife is from, when he stopped into team President Jeff Mead’s office to grab something or pay for something — he can’t remember the exact reason.
That’s when Mead casually asked if Walker would be interested in working for the team.
“I got to know Zach a little bit last year off the ice,” Mead said. “He was a very smart individual with great personality. I eventually said, come work for me.”
Walker said he was “completely taken off guard.”
“I had no anticipation of him offering me an opportunity here with the team, but it made sense for me and my family, with where we are at this point in our lives,” he said.
Walker’s wife Monica Walker had already been working at Glens Falls Hospital in the emergency room for a year.
Walker is also finishing up an MBA in marketing from Bellevue University, taking courses online.
He says, “It was kind of just a no-brainer for me to be able to take my first big boy job and transition out of hockey and learn the ropes of corporate America.”
So far Walker has been working in ticket sales and promoting Heritage Hall for pre-game events. He also helps players with their living situations and getting the guys involved in the community.
“He’s been great,” Mead said. “He’s been out in the community. The staff loves him. He fits right in with our culture. I think he’s got a great future ahead of him if he wants to stay in the front office with the Thunder, and we’re excited to have him.”
Head Coach Pete MacArthur coached Walker last season. “He’s got a lot of energy, he’s very intelligent, he understands what it takes to have a winning hockey culture. It was a no-brainer to get him involved on the hockey ops side of things and in the front office when his health doesn’t allow him to play anymore….
“We’re super lucky to have a guy that’s so close to playing in this league behind the scenes helping us out with lots of different things.”
Walker says one thing he enjoys about working for the Thunder organization is “It’s a small town market, a small town team, so everyone here pretty much knows everybody. I love being able to walk down the street and have someone that I can recognize and just have a conversation with about hockey, or about their family or anything.”
He said Adirondack has “probably one of the most passionate, electric fan bases in the ECHL,” and that Cool Insuring Arena has a reputation for being one of the hardest buildings for visitors to play in.
“Our Section N gets a bad rap with opposing fans and opposing teams because they heckle them, but that’s all part of the small town pro hockey experience,” he said. “That’s kind of something we rally around.”
He said the Cool is “a pretty small arena, but the way we pack it, it feels like you’re playing in Madison Square Garden.”
Walker grew up in Boise, Idaho. He played for Team USA’s youth hockey program before suiting up for Boston College. He then played a year in Florida in the Southern Professional Hockey League before heading back home to Idaho to play two seasons for the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL. He then played his sole season with the Thunder last year.
It’s a landmark season for the Thunder.
“This is our 10 year anniversary,” Walker notes, “so to see that this team has been able to stick around the longest since the Red Wings is something that we take a lot of pride in. We’re starting to see a lot of people get excited about hockey again in this town.”
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