In 2017, Nathan Walker of the Washington Capitals became the first NHL player from which country?

Nathan Walker (born 7 February 1994) is an Australian professional ice hockey player who plays for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Walker, who was born in Wales, grew up in Australia and first played ice hockey there. He moved to the Czech Republic in 2007 in order to further his career, and joined the junior program of HC Vítkovice, a member of the Czech Extraliga. He first played for the senior team in 2011, becoming the first Australian ice hockey player to play for a professional senior team in Europe.

In 2013 Walker signed with the Youngstown Phantoms of the junior United States Hockey League, moving to North America for the first time. He attended the training camp of the Washington Capitals in 2013 and signed with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Hershey. Walker represents Australia internationally, and first played for them at the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship Division II tournament, where he helped his team win their group and earn a promotion to Division I for the following year. Passed over in the previous two NHL Entry Drafts, Walker was selected by the Washington Capitals in the third round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, the first Australian selected in an NHL draft. After a few years in the AHL, Walker joined the Capitals in 2017, the first Australian to play in the NHL.