University of Minnesota hockey coach Bob Motzko calls freshman Sammy Walker a “self-proclaimed musician.”



Walker, a Lightning forward prospect, loves to sing. In the locker room. On the bus. In the shower. Not only did Walker lead all Big Ten freshmen in points last season (26), Motzko said the 5-foot-10 winger also led them in ballads. A country music buff, Walker’s go-to song is Morgan Wallen’s “Whiskey Glasses.”



“He thinks he’s a great singer because he’s not afraid to sing,” said Gophers teammate Ben Brinkman, who played with Walker in Edina, Minn. “That definitely makes him better.”



What Walker lacks in size, he makes up for in confidence. Not cockiness. But the kind of an edge that helped the former Minnesota “Mr. Hockey” go from a seventh-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2017 into Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The Athletic prospect guru Corey Pronman said many scouts have...