The Thrill of Victory: Saints Grad and Team USA Strike Gold

It was exciting enough for Chad Walker ’06 to be selected as an athletic trainer for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship—and then the team won gold!

Chad joined the squad as one of two athletic trainers during the 2025 tournament held last spring in Herning, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden, and it turned out to be a historically successful trip. With its gripping 1-0 overtime win over Switzerland in the gold-medal game, Team USA won its first IIHF World Championship in nearly a century, and Chad said it felt oh so good. 

“I have never been a part of a championship team or known what a game like that feels like,” he shared. “It was so special; the most unbelievable experience of my career. We all piled onto the ice and celebrated when it was over. My hand was sore the next day from all the high-fives!”

The recent title is the first gold medal for the U.S. at the IIHF World Championships since 1933. The team had previously lost 12 consecutive semifinal games at the tournament before beating Sweden 6-2 to advance to the gold-medal game. 

Chad is the Head Athletic Trainer for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL), having recently completed his eighth season with the organization. He was promoted to his current position ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. But nothing could have prepared him for his big moment on the international stage.

“When I got the call to join the team, I was mostly surprised and beyond honored,” Chad recalled. “Any time you have a chance to represent your country, you can't say no. We had a great group, and right from the get-go, everybody bonded together. The opportunity to be a part of this was such a blessing.”

And there was an added bonus for Chad—standing alongside longtime NHL and Olympic Hockey trainer Stan Wong on the Team USA bench. “Stan is legendary, a hall of famer in our field,” Chad said. “He is someone I have looked up to my whole career and who I dreamed of someday working with and learning from.” 

Back at Chad’s alma mater, friend and mentor Misi Babington, Canterbury’s Head Athletic Trainer and Associate Director of Athletics, was ecstatic for her former student. “I am beyond proud of him,” she exclaimed. “Chad has taken the profession and made it his own, and his being a part of the gold-medal-winning team is amazing. He is killing it!”

Photo, left to right: Athletic Trainer Stan Wong, Chad, and the team’s Massage Therapist, Peewee Willmann, hold the championship trophy together.