SIOUX FALLS — For the first time in his professional career, Walker Duehr got to experience the life of a journeyman in the NHL last season.
After playing in 16 games for the Calgary Flames, the 27-year-old native of Sioux Falls was waived by the organization in January before being picked up by the San Jose Sharks. However, in March, Duehr ended up on waivers again, finishing out the 2024-25 season with the American Hockey League’s San Jose Barracuda but without a two-way contract.
When the summer arrived, Duehr found himself in unfamiliar territory as an unrestricted free agent, but on July 2, a new deal had been reached with the Winnipeg Jets.
Contract in hand, Duehr is now zeroed in on his offseason regimen as he looks to make his mark at Jets training camp this fall.
“I think everything was kind of new to me, and there was a lot of stuff happening quickly,” said Duehr, who signed a one-year, two-way contract with Winnipeg worth $775,000. “I’d been a restricted free agent with Calgary a couple times and ended up getting signed back with them, so it was just about trying to figure out the best fit for me and my family as well.
“It ended up being Winnipeg.”
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Bouncing around between the AHL and NHL ranks, Duehr is entering his sixth season as a pro in 2025-26. The former Minnesota State standout has appeared in 92 NHL games during his five seasons, amassing 21 points on 11 goals and 10 assists.
This new opportunity, though, is one Duehr is eager to have. He’ll be joining a Jets organization that just won its first Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history after finishing with a league-best 116 points in the regular season, during which they went 56-22-4.
However, that also means there will be plenty of competition to make the team when Duehr heads off to camp on Sept. 4. For him, one of the added perks of signing with Winnipeg is how close it brings him to home.
“It’s only a six and a half hour drive,” said Duehr, who remains the first and only South Dakota-born player to reach the NHL. “That’ll be nice for the family, but I’m joining a team that’s had a lot of success in recent years.
“They’ve got a good core, and they play a style that really embraces the style I play as well. It’s kind of one of the reasons I signed there. I’m excited to get going with them.”
Duehr’s two-way deal is no different than his previous pro deals, giving Winnipeg the option to call him up to the Jets’ roster or send him down to the AHL for more skill refinement.
If Duehr is unable to make the team out of camp, he’ll start the season with the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
Since the middle of May, Duehr has been back in Sioux Falls for the summer. He took about a month off, training lightly in order to give his body some time to recover. In June, though, he began working out full-time at the Sanford Fieldhouse, and over the last month, he’s ramped up his ice time.
“I’m skating three or four times a week and working out three or four times a week,” Duehr said, “so training is back in full force as I get ready for training camp.”
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Working with his longtime coach and mentor, Noëlle Needham, Duehr has been skating this summer with Legend Hockey Elite players at the IcePlex. He’s also gotten in a lot of ice time at Midco Arena, where the majority of Augustana’s hockey team has been skating as well.
At the Fieldhouse, Duehr has been working closely with lead strength and conditioning coach Brad Rilling.
“I’ve been able to use the turf and weight room they have here,” Duehr said. “It’s a great combo for me to have to be able to work on speed stuff. Obviously the weights and being able to use some of the recovery stuff they have here has helped me keep my body feeling good throughout the summer.”
Duehr saw action in a total of 24 NHL games last season (16 with the Flames and eight with the Sharks), averaging just under nine minutes on the ice per game. With San Jose, he scored two goals, including a first-period tally in his Jan. 23 debut with the team at home against Nashville.
After spending more than three years with Calgary, Duehr got his first taste of life with another organization when he landed in San Jose. It was a bit of a chaotic experience that turned out to be eye-opening in more ways than one.
“Between my agent and I, we thought there was a good chance I’d get picked up somewhere. It ended up being San Jose, so it was a whirlwind,” Duehr said. “I got picked up at noon Calgary time, and I was on a flight by 7 p.m. Calgary time. I kind of had to pack up my life and go on the road and get in at 1 a.m. to play the next day.
“I ended up scoring, though, so it’s funny how that stuff works out.”
Trent Singer is a sports reporter for Sioux Falls Live. He focuses his coverage on Augustana men’s hockey and Sioux Falls area sports. Singer’s previous stops include Just Women’s Sports, the Southeast Missourian and the Kentucky New Era.