In NHL first, 4 women selected to officiate prospect games

Posted September 06, 2019 7:00 am

By JOHN WAWROW

Linesman Kirsten Welsh watches at center ice as Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins players take the ice to prepare to play in the Sabres prospects hockey tournament, Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, in Buffalo, N.Y. Welsh is one four female officials selected to be the first women to work as on-ice officials at several prospect tournaments taking place across the country this weekend. The other three other women selected were Katie Guay, Kelly Cooke and Kendall Hanley. (AP Photo/John Wawrow) The Associated Press

The NHL for the first time selected four female officials to work on the ice at prospect tournaments held this weekend.

Katie Guay and Kelly Cooke were selected as referees, while Kirsten Welsh and Kendall Hanley will work as linesmen, the league announced Friday.

The four were selected out of a group of 96 officials, including 11 women, who participated in the league's annual officials exposure combine last month in Buffalo, New York.

It's the first time women have officiated at the pre-training camp prospects tournament level. It's the next step in the league's bid to have women officiate at the NHL level.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman previously said he envisions a woman officiating at the league level, without providing a timeline.

Guay is the most experienced of the four, having refereed women's games last year at the Winter Olympics in South Korea. She's assigned to work the Anaheim Ducks-hosted tournament in Irvine, California.

Cooke, who this spring officiated the women's world hockey championships, will work the Predators tournament in Nashville, Tennessee.

Hanley, who has spent 11 seasons officiating at the NCAA Division III level, will work the Detroit Red Wings' tournament in Traverse City, Michigan.

Welsh just completed her college playing career at Robert Morris and will work at the Sabres tournament in Buffalo.

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This story has been corrected to reflect the spelling of Kirsten Welsh.

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CORRECTS SPELLING TO WELSH, NOT WALSH - FILE - In this Feb 4, 2019, file photo, referee Katie Guay watches a Boston College line change during a Beanpot Tournament NCAA college hockey game against Harvard in Boston. Guay and Kirsten Welsh were among four females selected by the NHL on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, to be the first women to work as on-ice officials at several prospect tournaments taking place across the country this weekend. The other two women selected were Kelly Cooke and Kendall Hanley. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, FIle) The Associated Press

CORRECTS SPELLING TO WELSH, NOT WALSH - In this August 2019 photo, Kirsten Welsh, left and Katie Guay, second from right, participate in the NHL's annual officials exposure combine in Buffalo, N.Y. Guay and Welsh were among four females selected by the NHL on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, to be the first women to work as on-ice officials at several prospect tournaments taking place across the country this weekend. The other two women selected were Kelly Cooke and Kendall Hanley. (AP Photo/John Wawrow) The Associated Press

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