KITCHENER -- History unfolded at the Aud in Kitchener Friday night as the Ontario Hockey League’s first female linesperson made her debut in a regular season game.
“[It’s] very exciting,” said Kirsten Welsh. “I just really want to cherish this moment and not take it for granted.”
CTV News spoke to the Port Perry native just before her first game.
“I get the privilege to just see the impact this is going to have across the hockey community and the sport. That’s the only thing I could really ask for, just showing the next generation of female officials that this could be a possibility one day.”
The two teams hitting the ice Friday night were the Kitchener Rangers and Owen Sound Attack.
“I’m sure there will be lots of little girls watching in the stands tonight that look out there and see her and think, ‘Hey, I can do that,’ whether it’s refereeing or ‘I can do whatever I want,’” said Mike McKenzie, the GM and head coach for the Kitchener Rangers.
Welsh’s journey has been decades in the making.
“I knew how to skate before I knew how to walk,” she said. “Once I put those skates on, it went just up from there. My passion for the game grew.”
Welsh has been involved in hockey nearly all of her life.
The 24-year-old worked her way up the ranks as a minor league official in both Canada and the U.S. before getting this opportunity.
“She’s been working her way towards this for more than some time now,” said Julia Tocheri, the co-host of TSN’s Leaf’s Lunch. “She’s more than capable.”
Welsh tried out in two pre-season games earlier this year before getting the call to work in the regular season.
In addition to Friday night’s game at the Aud, Welsh will be back on the ice Saturday for her first AHL game in Belleville.
