A First for American Hockey League, and Women- By: Sam Wismer
Picture Credit: American Hockey League
Most fans are used to seeing males as referees in the NHL and AHL in general, but this weekend, a barrier was broken. The AHL hired 10 females who will officiate games (7 referees, and 3 linesman) for the 2021-2022 season. Let’s meet a few of the females that the AHL see this season:
Picture Credit: The Sun Chronicle
Katie Guay
Katie Guay made history Saturday night and was the female referee in the Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins versus Lehigh Valley Phantoms game. Katie has experience being a referee. She was officiating in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and has also been a referee for the Women’s Frozen Four. She has officiated Men’s games in NCAA Division I hockey, Southern Professional Hockey League, and NHL Prospects Tournament.
Picture Credit: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Kelly Cooke
On Sunday, a referee by the name of Kelly Cooke, officiated her first game in the AHL, Rochester Americans versus Utica Comets. She has been a referee at hockey games since the age of 12. She was a former hockey player for Princeton. She worked with Katie Guay in 2019 for the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four. She played a few seasons for Boston Pride of the National Women’s Hockey League.
Picture Credit: Nick Pettigrew/Moose Jaw Warriors
Alex Clarke
Alex Clarke, who is a linesman from Saskatchewan. She has always officiated male and female hockey games, even as a teenager. She played NCAA Division III hockey at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN. She also worked the 2021 Women’s World Hockey Championship that took place in Calagary. She is hoping to land a spot working Olympic hockey in Beijing in February.
All referees, and nearly 100% of linesman, that are on the NHL staff, have worked their way up from the AHL. The 10 women that have been hired is another stepping stone toward having female officiants, like NFL and NBA have. The background of these 10 women are varied, but they will make an impact this season.
-Samantha Wismer- Phantoms of the Spectrum/Olde City Sports Network