UAA, which has long struggled to lure Alaska's top prospects, has secured an oral commitment from a 16-year-old Anchorage forward who three years running has played in USA Hockey's most elite, invitation-only youth development camps.
Nolan Walker said he committed Tuesday to Seawolves third-year head coach Matt Thomas and assistant coach Josh Ciocco, the program's principal recruiter.
Walker is set to leave town Thursday night to return to Culver Military Academy in Indiana for his junior year. He's attended Culver and played hockey there the last two seasons.
Walker said he toured UAA on an unofficial visit this summer, and checked out upgrades at the on-campus Wells Fargo Sports Complex and looked into the school's engineering program.
"It was really attractive to me,'' Walker said of UAA. "I loved everything about it.
"The most important thing I've realized is the longer I've been away, the more I've wanted to be here (in Anchorage). I'm really excited about it. I want to play in front of my friends and family here. I think that will be really special.''
NCAA rules prohibit Thomas and his staff from publicly commenting on Walker until Walker signs a National Letter of Intent. The earliest Walker can do that is in the early signing period – November, 2016 – of his senior year of high school.
The 5-foot-9, 165-pound Walker earlier this summer played in USA Hockey's Select 17 national camp, where the country's best players in his age group congregated for a week after being invited based on performance in regional camps. He scored one goal and had one assist in five games. In the two previous summers, Walker skated at the national Select 16 and Select 15 camps.
Stats for Walker last season on Culver's U-16 AAA team were not available.
Walker in a telephone interview said he was happy to have his college decision complete.
"It's kind of a relief, takes a load off my shoulders,'' he said. "Now, I just have to focus on what I need to do to try to improve as a hockey player.''
Walker has playing options before attending UAA, and those hinge both on his preference and the pace of his development.
He can complete his career at Culver, where he said he is on scholarship, and then progress to junior hockey, and then UAA. He can spend his senior season of high school playing junior hockey – he has been drafted by the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the U.S. Hockey League and Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the North American Hockey League – and then join the Seawolves as a true freshman at 18. Or he can even play a post-high school season in junior hockey and join UAA at 19.
Former Seawolves forward Jimmy Dahl coached Walker in youth hockey with the Alaska All Stars in Anchorage before Walker started high school at Culver. Ditto for former Seawolves forwards Peter Cartwright and Dean Larson.
More than a decade has passed since UAA possessed a high-scoring forward from Alaska – Chris Fournier of Anchorage earned 14-18—32 totals in 38 games in the 2003-04 season. Fournier transferred to UAA from North Dakota.
The last time UAA had a double-digit goal scorer from Alaska who made the Seawolves his initial college choice came in 1995-96, when junior center David Vallieres of Chugiak led the team in goals, assists and points with 22-18—40 totals in 37 games. Senior winger Jack Kowal of Anchorage was second among Seawolves in goals and points that season with 11-12—23 totals in 37 games.
Walker said he's spent his summer in Anchorage skating in what players often call the Pro Skate. Players there include former NHLers Joey Crabb and Tim Wallace of Anchorage, both active pros, and many college and pro players.
Cartwright, an Anchorage native, said Walker has "a really high ceiling.''
"He's just got great skills, great vision,'' Cartwright said. "Not only can he score, but he's an even better playmaker.
"It's nice for UAA to get a kid who wants to come home and play. I'm sure he would have attracted a lot of attention from recruiters.''
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockeyblog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr