Ottawa Junior Senators forward Darcy Walsh takes pride in being an all-around ice hockey player.
Although he is among the team leaders in scoring with 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in his first 39 games, it’s not the stats he talks about.
“I’m not afraid to get into the dirty areas if need be, but I also know the game very well,” he explained. “My 200-foot game has improved dramatically since coming to the Junior. Senators and I would like to continue to do so.”
A native of Ottawa, the 5-11 158-pound Walsh grew up on the ice playing hockey with his three older brothers, Fabian, Daniel and Sean.
“Ever since I was a young boy it has always been hockey, seeing my three older brothers and I all played,” he said. “I looked up to them and ultimately learned a lot through them and my dad (Bill).”
Walsh came from the Ottawa Jr. 67’s organization before graduating to Junior A and the Central Canada Hockey League’s (CCHL) Gloucester Rangers for the 2015-16 campaign, before joining the Junior Sens the following season.
Walsh, who plays right wing, started out as a defenseman before becoming a productive offensive player. That early experience on the backline has served him well as a two-way player.
Now in his third year playing Junior A hockey in the CCHL (his second with the Junior Senators), the 18-year-old Walsh is a dependable veteran whose experience and skills are extremely valuable to his team.
Also helping to make him an essential player for any team are two critical intangibles: “I think my strengths are my work ethic and hockey IQ,” he remarked.
When it comes to his skating, Walsh is a perfectionist, which is part of his work ethic.
“You can never be a good enough skater and for me, I need to improve on my acceleration, and my first three strides,” he added.
Walsh credits playing with the Junior Senators for helping him grow as a player. He noted that his game “has improved a lot since coming here.”
Playing for a team that is currently in first place in the CCHL’s Yzerman Division with 65 points on a 31-6-1-2 mark is an enjoyable experience for the players, especially their right-winger.
“I look forward to coming to the rink each and every day,” Walsh pointed out. “We have a great group of guys who get along well. We have our fun, but when it is time to step on the ice we mean business.”
The atmosphere around the team is conducive to the players upping their games, according to Walsh.
“As a team and individuals I think we want to get better every day which creates a competitive nature within the team,” he said.
Walsh’s goal is to go on from the Junior Senators to play Division I college hockey and follow in the blades of his brothers, Fabian and Sean, who played their college hockey for Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
