It’s been almost eight years since St. Louis Blues forward Nathan Walker stepped onto the ice at the North Charleston Coliseum.

The last time Walker was in the Lowcountry it was the winter of 2014, and the young forward was still looking to gain a foothold in professional hockey.

He had spent his first professional season with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears, but in his second year with the club, the former third-round draft pick wasn’t getting much ice time with the Washington Capitals’ farm team.

Walker needed more ice time to develop, and he was sent down to the ECHL.

“Obviously, you don’t want to get sent down, but I looked at it as an opportunity,” Walker said. “I knew I needed to get more minutes and if this was the place to get it, then I knew I needed to be here.”

The NHL’s St. Louis Blues were in Charleston for three days this week, holding part of their preseason training camp in the Lowcountry to prepare the team’s season opener on Oct. 15 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Walker spent less than a month in the area back in 2014, and despite suffering a season-ending knee injury, still has fond memories of Charleston.

“For the short time I spent here, I had a great time,” Walker said on Oct. 12. “The guys were great, coaching staff was great and everyone made me feel really welcome. I remember that group being really close and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Walker’s most lasting memory of his time in the area was in interaction with then-Stingrays coach Spencer Carbery. Even back then, Walker knew the young coach had a bright future. Carbery is currently an assistant coach with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.

“The way Carbs would address the room and talk to the room, everyone would stop what they were doing and listen,” Walker said. “You can definitely see why he’s in the NHL right now.”

It took a major knee surgery and two more years in the minor leagues before Walker made his NHL debut with the Capitals during the 2017-18 season.

“I’m not going to lie, it was a long, tough process both mentally and physically,” Walker said. “I just wanted to be myself and work my way through it, but when I finally got to the NHL it was totally worth it. It kind of put everything into perspective for me.”

What makes Walker’s story more remarkable is that he is the first Australian-raised player to be drafted by the NHL.

At best, ice hockey is a third-tier sport in Australia with little or no training facilities, and even fewer developmental leagues for kids. The ice rink that Walker used growing up was 90 minutes from his Sydney home, and then he could only skate once a week.

The rink has since been demolished.

“There were some obstacles, but I loved the game and this was my dream,” Walker said.

He moved to Europe and played there for a time before making his way to North America. Since making his NHL debut, Walker has bounced between the AHL and NHL levels, but appears to have found a home in St. Louis.

“The way the Blues play kind of suits the way I play,” Walker said. “I’m an energy guy, I play on the penalty kill and I want to bring some grit to that fourth line.”

He’s already earned the respect of his teammates and coaching staff.

“Nathan has really won us over,” said St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube. “He’s a great person. He’s a hard-working, energy guy that scored a lot of big goals for us last year. Any situation you put him in or any line you add him to he really seems to add a spark to that line and get them going. He’s a good for our hockey team.”

Walker isn’t the only Blues player with ties to the Lowcountry.

Veteran defenseman Torey Krug recently bought a house on Daniel Island and makes Charleston his home during the offseason.

Krug lives down the street from former Boston Bruins teammate David Krejci, who moved to Charleston several years ago.

“I came down here to visit David, and my wife and I feel in love with the place,” Krug said. “David is one of my best friends, so we get to hang out in the summers. My wife’s family lived in Hanahan when her dad was in the Navy, so this just seemed like a good place to settle.”

Krug said he was the go-to guy this week for restaurant recommendations for his Blues teammates.

“I kind of felt a little pressure,” Krug said with a chuckle. “This is such a great food town, it’s hard to make a bad recommendation.”