Ben Walter enters his fifth season as head coach of Trinity Western University’s men’s hockey program in 2026-27. Walter took over the Spartans in July 2022, one year after the program began competing in Canada West and U SPORTS.
Through the 2025-26 season, Walter has compiled a 14-98 Canada West regular-season record. Across all games listed in TWU’s schedules, including conference and exhibition competition, the Spartans have posted an overall record of 21-110 under Walter. These totals use a straight win-loss format, with overtime and shootout losses counted as losses.
In 2025-26, Trinity Western finished 4-24 in Canada West play. Three of the Spartans’ four conference victories came against Alberta, including a 4-3 shootout win, a 7-3 victory and a 3-2 shootout decision. TWU completed the season with a 5-2 road victory over Regina in which first-year forward Danylo Korzhyletskyi recorded a hat trick. The Spartans also earned points in overtime losses to Saskatchewan and MacEwan. 2025-26 schedule | Season-ending series
Walter guided Trinity Western to a 3-25 Canada West record in 2024-25. The Spartans earned their first weekend sweep of Regina, defeating the Cougars 4-1 and 6-2. TWU also recorded a 6-3 road victory over Manitoba and earned its first point against Calgary with a 5-4 shootout loss. The season included a nine-game stretch in which the Spartans scored at least three goals seven times. 2024-25 schedule | First point against Calgary
In 2023-24, Trinity Western posted a 4-24 Canada West record. The Spartans swept Manitoba on the road, earning 3-2 and 5-2 victories for the program’s first Canada West weekend sweep. TWU also made program history late in the season with a 2-1 shootout victory over No. 9 Saskatchewan and a 4-3 win over No. 8 Alberta. The victory over Saskatchewan was TWU’s first against the Huskies, while the win over Alberta was the program’s first against the Golden Bears. 2023-24 schedule | First victory over Alberta
Walter’s first season with the Spartans was 2022-23, when TWU finished 3-25 in Canada West play. The Spartans recorded a 5-4 victory over UBC, a 4-3 overtime win over Mount Royal and a 7-1 road victory over Manitoba. The Mount Royal result remains the program’s first victory over the Cougars, while the six-goal win over Manitoba is one of the largest Canada West victories in program history. Daine DuBois led the Spartans with 14 goals and 26 points during the season. 2022-23 schedule | 2022-23 statistics
Walter brought 13 years of professional playing experience to Trinity Western, including 24 games in the National Hockey League and 607 in the American Hockey League. He played five NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils, recording his first NHL goal with the Islanders in 2007-08.
Walter played more than 900 professional games across the regular season and playoffs. In addition to his North American career, he competed professionally in Sweden, Finland, Austria and Japan. His international club career included time with Örebro HK in the Swedish Hockey League, Jokerit in Finland’s Liiga, EC Red Bull Salzburg and EC VSV in Austria, and the Nippon Paper Cranes in the Asia League.
Originally from Beaconsfield, Que., Walter grew up in Langley and played junior hockey with the Langley Hornets of the British Columbia Hockey League. The Boston Bruins selected him in the fifth round, 160th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
Before turning professional, Walter played three seasons at the University of Massachusetts Lowell from 2002 to 2005. He completed his university career by leading the River Hawks with 26 goals and 39 points in 36 games during the 2004-05 season. He recorded three hat tricks, earned Hockey East Second Team All-Star honours and was selected as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the top player in NCAA men’s hockey. UMass Lowell profile
Walter began his professional career with the Providence Bruins in 2005-06 and made his NHL debut with Boston that season. His AHL career also included stops with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Lowell Devils, Lake Erie Monsters and Abbotsford Heat. In 2010-11, he recorded a professional career-high 70 points with Lake Erie. He returned to the Fraser Valley with the Abbotsford Heat in 2011 and spent two seasons with the club before continuing his career overseas.
After retiring as a player following the 2017-18 season, Walter moved into coaching and player development. Before joining Trinity Western, he served as general manager of the North Island Silvertips’ U15, U17 and U18 AAA programs and coached the organization’s U18 team.
During the 2021-22 season, Walter worked as a skills coach with the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL and served as head skills development coach for the Cowichan Valley Minor Hockey Association. He launched Ben Walter Hockey in 2019 and serves as its owner and lead instructor.
Walter holds BC Hockey Development 1 and Hockey Canada High Performance 1 coaching certifications. He has also completed Hockey Canada’s Instructional Stream Certification Program.
After finishing his professional playing career, Walter completed his studies through the NCAA Degree Completion Program and graduated from UMass Lowell with a Bachelor of Arts in English and History. Appointment announcement
