The “Wild Thing” has returned to the West Coast.
Scott Walker, who spent four of his 16 NHL seasons with the Canucks, has been hired by Vancouver as a player development consultant, the club announced on Friday.
Walker joins the Canucks after a successful four-year stint as head coach of OHL Guelph, and as an assistant on Canada’s gold medal-winning team at the 2015 World Juniors.
During his playing days, Walker -- who was drafted by the Canucks in ’93 -- earned a reputation (and the nickname) as an undersized yet fierce competitor that was unafraid to fight, or throw his 185-pound frame around. In his final two seasons with Vancouver, Walker racked up 296 PIM and scrapped a combined 22 times.
Walker has been out of coaching since January, when he resigned his post with Guelph due to personal reasons.