Nearly two decades after sharing the blueline as minor hockey teammates, Sean Walker and Erin Ambrose have found themselves celebrating championships at the highest levels of professional hockey less than one month part.
Long before NHL arenas and PWHL venues became the stage for their accomplishments, Walker and Ambrose were minor hockey teammates.
This spring, both defencemen reached the summit of team success. Ambrose and the Montreal Victoire captured the Walter Cup on May 20. Three weeks later, Walker celebrated a Stanley Cup championship with the Carolina Hurricanes.
“I was watching the Stanley Cup Finals with my cousins, and I told them that it just feels a little bit different watching this, now that I have my own [Walter Cup],” said Ambrose.
“My cousins went on to do something else in Game 6 and I was glued to the TV, waiting to see Seany get the Cup. Anyone who wins the Stanley Cup that I know, I’m excited for, but Seany, and the path he took to get there, I was over the moon for him.
“I don’t know if you can ask for a better spring for him,” continued Ambrose. “Having a newborn baby and winning the Stanley Cup – I don’t think anything is going to top this year for him.”
Walker and his wife, Taylor, welcomed their first child in May, a daughter named Quinn.
Before signing a five-year contract with the Hurricanes in 2024 as a free agent, Walker, who previously played with Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Colorado, was thrilled to see Ambrose add another piece of hardware to her already jam-packed trophy case.
“Winning is amazing, but it’s also awesome to see your friends have success and achieve their dreams, too,” Walker told NHLPA.com.
Supporting one another is by no means a new thing.
Growing up in Keswick, a community of around 30,000 people located on the southern edge of Lake Simcoe just over an hour’s drive north of downtown Toronto, hockey was front and centre for both Walker and Ambrose.
They first played together on the Georgina Blaze and then on the York Simcoe Express.
Walker quickly took notice of Ambrose and what she brought to the team.
“Probably some of my fondest memories of playing with Erin was the success our teams had growing up and how talented she was. Winning is amazing and to make those memories is something we’ll always remember.”
Ambrose recalled the widespread respect she received from her male teammates.
“There are a lot of horror stories out there for a lot of female athletes who played with boys growing up. I am lucky enough to say I was not one of those. Every guy embraced me so well. I was just part of the team.”
In 2007, they won the All-Ontario Championship on the same YSE roster alongside future NHL forward Chris Tierney.
“It was something you will never forget,” said Walker. “And to win it with that group made it even more special.”
The pursuit of their big-league aspirations took Ambrose and Walker down very different paths.
Ambrose made her debut with Team Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team in 2010, while Walker joined the Newmarket Hurricanes of the Ontario Junior Hockey League in 2011–12.
Ambrose then played four seasons at Clarkson University, winning an NCAA championship in 2014. At the same time, Walker was playing NCAA hockey at Bowling Green, where he also spent four seasons.
They have also both found success playing for their country.
Ambrose’s résumé includes three world championship golds and an Olympic gold. Walker struck gold with Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2021 IIHF World Championship.
Then there are their professional triumphs.
On Sept. 18, 2023, Ambrose was drafted sixth overall by PWHL Montreal.
When the league expanded to 12 teams ahead of the 2026-27 season, she inked a two-year contract with PWHL Las Vegas.
Walker, who went undrafted at the NHL level before signing a two-year, entry-level contract with the Kings in 2018, has played in 476 NHL regular-season games and in 44 playoff contests.
Now, they have reached the pinnacle of team success at the highest professional level.
“For Erin and I to have both had our childhood dreams come true is pretty cool to think about, from where we started playing together at such a young age,” said Walker.
“I texted Chris [Tierney] after Sean won,” noted Erin. It’s kind of crazy to look at it and think that there are a good bunch of us from our early playing days who have had success. It’s crazy to think where we all were and how long ago that was, but here we all are.”
Mutual respect extends beyond the rink for Ambrose and Walker.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Erin, not only because of the success she’s had, but how she got there and being so dedicated and committed to being the best she can be.
“On top of that, she might be one of the nicest people I’ve even encountered. She can always connect with anyone and make them light up.”
Ambrose has similarly high praise for Walker.
“I get to see Seany every time he’s in town now. I also ran into him in L.A. when we were in town for a Rivalry Series quite a few years ago.
“You have seen him grow throughout his career and get more opportunities. And then coming to Carolina, getting to play in that top four [pairing] – everything continued to blossom for him. He’s just a great person and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
