Butler Township’s Walker joins Lancaster hockey team for tournament
CRANBERRY TWP — Ken “K.D.” Walker has a background in both hockey and law enforcement. Both helped bring him to the ice for the 2024 Can-Am Police-Fire Games hockey tournament at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township.
The resident of Butler Township knew the hockey portion of the Can-Am Games would be held this month and set about trying to find a team to join.
Walker — a retired Pennsylvania state trooper who worked in Chambersburg, Meadville, Butler and Hampton Township over 25 years — has connections with law enforcement all over the state, one of them being Tim Cutshaw, a player for the Lancaster Fighting Amish, one of the eight competing teams.
“About a month ago, I asked him if I could join the team for this tournament and he said that wouldn’t be a problem,” Walker said. “I’ve been involved with the state police travel hockey team for 27 years. We’ve traveled to the northeastern U.S. and Canada.”
Walker, 56, looks every bit the defenseman.
“I’m 6-foot-8, and that’s without skates,” he said. “I’m also the oldest player in the tournament. For me, it’s twofold. We played eight games in three days here and it’s important for me to still be able to compete with these younger guys, but also, the camaraderie we have just because of our background is very strong.”
The Amish went 4-1-1 Friday and Saturday, good enough to land them in the championship game Sunday against Essex, the lone team from Canada in the tournament. Essex cruised to the title with a 7-0 victory.
Lancaster had already lost to Essex, 10-1, during Friday’s round-robin portion of the tournament.
“It’s obvious they’ve all played some form of higher level hockey,” said Chad Allen, another defenseman for the Amish, of Essex. “You can tell from their skills, awareness and communication. They’re always talking to each other on the ice.
“A few of us play in leagues together, but specifically for this tournament, we didn’t get any practice time in.
“Hockey isn’t as big in our area as it is closer to Philadelphia or here near Pittsburgh. There aren’t many high school teams. If kids near Lancaster want to play, they usually have to join a travel team.”
Walker, who now works as a school police officer at Mars and Freeport, was turned on to hockey while growing up in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
“It started out with roller hockey,” he said. “We used to play on the tennis courts. I ended up playing ice hockey at North Catholic High School, then was on the first hockey team at Mercyhurst College in 1986.”
He plays in several adult leagues at the Lemieux Complex and skates at the Frozen Pond near Valencia every other week to stay in shape.
Walker said it was easy to fit in with his teammates over the last three days.
“The law enforcement bond that we have brings us all together,” he said.
The Pittsburgh Fire earned the bronze medal in the tournament, while the Blueliners took fourth.
