Ethan Walker #57 — Photo Courtesy of the Oshawa FireWolves
For Ethan Walker, the journey through professional lacrosse has taken him across North America. But this season something changed. The game that shaped his childhood suddenly moved a little closer to home.
When the Albany FireWolves relocated games to Oshawa, it meant the Peterborough native would be playing just down the highway from the city where his lacrosse story began. The move brought the National Lacrosse League within reach for the family and friends who spent years supporting him from afar.
Now suiting up at the Tribute Communities Centre (TCC), the shift has made the season feel a little more personal for Walker. The crowds are louder, the familiar faces are easier to find, and the connection to home feels stronger every time he steps on the floor.
Before the season even began, Walker admits the possibility of playing close to Peterborough sparked immediate excitement.
For Walker, the relocation meant a lot to him, but he was also really happy that it would be a shorter drive for his parents.
Growing up in a lacrosse hotbed, the former Laker has crossed paths with countless legends of the game over the years, through teammates, coaches and camp instructors, but says when thinking about his journey to the pros, it’s his parents who come to mind first and foremost.
That early introduction to the sport turned into a career that has carried him through NCAA lacrosse at the University of Denver and into the professional ranks. But even now, the support system that started in Peterborough still follows him to every arena.
Walker says the response from fans since the move to Oshawa has been impossible to miss.
Although the team is now playing closer to Peterborough, Walker’s own journey to game day includes a little more than just a short drive down to the 115.
That commitment is common across the league, where many players balance careers, travel and professional lacrosse at the same time. It is part of the blue collar identity that has long defined the sport.
Inside the arena, Walker says the atmosphere in Oshawa has quickly become one of the team’s biggest strengths.
And for anyone who has never seen a lacrosse game, Walker compares it to three familiar sports to put it in perspective.
The FireWolves will play their final game of the season on Saturday night, April 18th, when they host the three-time defending champion Buffalo Bandits at the Tribute Communities Centre.
(Written by: Scott Arnold)
