During a quiet moment after an Abbotsford Heat practice, head coach Troy Ward spoke eloquently of his fondness for Ben Walter.
“Sometimes, I think you can tend to overlook him,” Ward said of the veteran centre.
“It’s like, we all rely on our wives and we never give them enough credit. We just take them with a grain of salt sometimes. She’s there, taking care of the kids, and I’m going to go do my thing.
“It’s kind of how I look at Ben — it’s the same scenario in life. We just expect him to be there and expect him to go lead us.”
Walter’s strictly substance over his style, and his metronome-like consistency might only be appreciated by those who watch the team night in and night out.
The son of Heat president Ryan Walter suited up in the most games of any Abbotsford player, appearing in the first 75 before sitting out Sunday’s regular season finale, since the result had no affect on the standings.
Earlier this month, Walter set a new Heat single-season scoring record, eclipsing the 54 points Jason Jaffray posted in 2009-10, the franchise’s inaugural season in Abbotsford.
While Walter was the first to pass the mark, he was subsequently passed by linemate Krys Kolanos, who finished with 30 goals and 61 points, three ahead of Walter.
Walter finished with 19 goals and 58 points and also surpassed the 400-point mark for his AHL career.
The former junior A hockey star — he played in the BCHL with his hometown Langley Hornets —has always been known for his steady play and quiet leadership.
“He’s really been our anchor,” said Heat goalie Danny Taylor.
“He’s a man of few words, but a lot of the young guys look up to him.
“He’s been hands down one of our best players all year.”
Walter finished the season with points in nine of the last 10 games, registering six goals and a dozen points in that span.
Ward lauded his leadership.
“Down the stretch, he seems to be the guy that wants the puck all the time,” the Heat bench boss said.
“There were times in the year where we maybe didn’t see him or notice him as much.
“But this is his time as a veteran.”
Walter’s play was huge in helping the Heat earn home-ice advantage in the quarter-finals of the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time.
Abbotsford (42-26-3-5, 92 points) is the fourth seed in the Western Conference and face the fifth-place Milwaukee Admirals in the opening round best-of-five series.
The first two games are in Milwaukee on Friday and Sunday before switching to Abbotsford for game three on Wednesday, April 25.
If necessary, games four and five would also be at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre on April 27 and 28.
