Baseball Great Larry Walker To Serve As Emergency Backup Goalie For Avalanche

The Avalanche have signed Walker to be their emergency backup goalie for Sunday's game against the Golden Knights as a way of honoring his recent election to the MLB Hall of Fame. Walker, who will be inducted this summer, spent the bulk of his 17-year career with the Rockies. 

BREAKING: The Colorado Avalanche have signed Larry Walker ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉ ʰᵒⁿᵒʳᵃʳʸ ᵉᵐᵉʳᵍᵉⁿᶜʸ ᵍᵒᵃˡᵗᵉⁿᵈᵉʳ ᵒⁿ ˢᵘⁿᵈᵃʸ pic.twitter.com/r0i6Ycvb6B

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) March 11, 2020

Before he was a professional baseball player, Walker dreamed of being a goalie in the NHL. The British Columbia native idolized former Islanders netminder Billy Smith and grew up close friends with future Hockey Hall-of-Famer Cam Neely. He pursued Junior-A hockey into his teenage years before shifting his focus to baseball.