Kirsten Welsh (born 1997) is a Canadian ice hockey official, currently serving as a linesman in the American Hockey League (AHL) and Ontario Hockey League (OHL). A retired ice hockey defenceman, she played college ice hockey with the Robert Morris Colonials in the College Hockey America (CHA) conference of the NCAA Division 1 during 2015 to 2019.[1][2]
| Kirsten Welsh | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Welsh (center-right) in 2021 | |||
| Born |
1997 (age 26–27) Port Perry, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Robert Morris Colonials | ||
| Playing career | 2012–2019 | ||
Officiating career
editIn September 2019, Welsh became one of four women to officiate at the NHL level for the first time, working in an NHL Prospect Tournament hosted by the Buffalo Sabres at the HARBORcenter from September 7 through 10.[3]
Welsh was also joined by Kelly Cooke, Katie Guay, and Kendall Hanley as officials who worked the Elite Women's 3-on-3 event at the 2020 National Hockey League All-Star Game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.[4] Of note, Cooke and Guay served in the capacity of referees, while Hanley and Welsh were the linesmen.
Awards and honors
edit- CHA
- 2015–16 CHA All-Tournament Team
- 2016–17 All-CHA First Team
- 2017–18 All-CHA First Team
- 2017–18 CHA Defender of the Year[5]
- USCHO
- 2015–16 All-USCHO Rookie Team
References
edit- ^ Benjamin, Amalie (October 11, 2021). "Welsh, Guay among women to work as American Hockey League officials". NHL. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Kirsten Welsh to Become First Woman Linesperson in OHL History". Ontario Hockey League (Press release). September 30, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ Vensel, Matt (September 12, 2019). "You might see RMU alum Kirsten Welsh on the NHL ice some day". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
- ^ Benjamin, Amalie (January 15, 2020). "NHL All-Star Weekend adds Elite Women's 3-on-3 game". NHL. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
- ^ Popchock, Matt (March 1, 2018). "Colonials Clean Up at CHA Awards: Five Players from No. 9 RMU Hailed by Conference". RMU Colonials. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
- ^ "2018-19 RMU Women's Hockey Roster: #4 Kirsten Welsh". Robert Morris University Athletics. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Kirsten Welsh: Career Statistics". US College Hockey Online. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com