Kevin Westgarth

Kevin Westgarth

Westgarth at the 2014 Edmonton Oilers training camp
Born (1984-02-07) February 7, 1984
Amherstburg, ON, CAN
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 228 lb (103 kg; 16 st 4 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shoots Right
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2006-2015–present

Kevin Reginald Westgarth (born February 7, 1984) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey forward who most recently played for the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).

Playing career

College

Leading his collegiate Princeton Tigers in penalty minutes, with 48 as a freshman during the 2003-2004 season, Kevin Westgarth established his reputation as a bruiser. He finished his career at Princeton with 130 penalty minutes and 60 points in 116 games, and spent three of his four seasons alongside his brother, Brett. After his senior season, Westgarth was signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Los Angeles Kings on March 16, 2007.[1]

Professional

Westgarth made his professional debut on March 18, 2007, just two days after signing with the Kings, for their AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, against the Providence Bruins. In just 14 games in 2007, Westgarth accumulated 44 penalty minutes and three points.

During his first full season in Manchester, 2007–2008, Westgarth was second among all AHL rookies in penalty minutes with 191, and led all rookies with 25 major penalties. Westgarth made his NHL debut for the Kings on January 20, 2009 logging 4:39 of ice-time on the road against the Minnesota Wild. Westgarth was recalled from Manchester twice during the season. In his first game back with Manchester on January 23, Westgarth fought Garrett Klotz of the Philadelphia Phantoms, forcing Klotz to leave the ice on a stretcher after suffering seizures following multiple punches to the face from Westgarth.[2]

Westgarth as a member of the Hurricanes.

Westgarth's best season in the AHL came in the 2009-2010 season as the forward scored 11 goals and tallied 25 points in 76 games, as just one of seven players in the AHL to have 25 points and more than 150 penalty minutes during the season.[1]

Los Angeles Kings

Westgarth's strong campaign earned him a roster spot with the Kings in the fall of 2010, as the enforcer for head coach Terry Murray. Westgarth's first fight of the preseason resulted in facial fractures for Colorado Avalanche winger David Koci on September 22.[3] Through 30 games, Westgarth has led the Kings in penalty minutes with 59, after a number of fights with fellow NHL enforcers, such as John Scott of the Chicago Blackhawks. Late in Game 4 in the playoffs against the San Jose Sharks, Westgarth was ejected with a game misconduct for charging.[4]

During the 2011–12 season, Westgarth scored his first NHL goal against Kari Lehtonen in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on November 23, 2011.[5][6] On February 16, 2012, Westgarth suffered a hand injury, placing him on the long term injury list for the remainder of the season. With the Kings franchise subsequently earning their first Stanley Cup in the club's forty-five-year history, and despite only playing in 25 regular season games, Westgarth was acknowledged as a Stanley Cup winner and had his name engraved on the cup.[7]

Carolina Hurricanes

During the 2012-13 NHL lockout, Westgarth stayed at his offseason home in North Carolina and practiced with several members of the Carolina Hurricanes while participating in NHLPA negotiations with the league on a new collective bargaining agreement. Upon ratification of the new agreement, the Kings promptly traded him to the Hurricanes for Anthony Stewart, a 2013 fourth-round pick and a 2014 sixth-round pick on January 13, 2013.[8]

Calgary Flames

On December 30, 2013, Westgarth was traded by the Hurricanes to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Greg Nemisz.[9] In the remainder of the 2013–14 season, Westgarth enjoyed his most productive period of his NHL career, in scoring a career high 4 goals and 7 points in 36 games.

With the Flames opting to not tender Westgarth a new offer, he was released to free agency at season's end. Without a contract heading into the 2014–15 season, Westgarth accepted an invite to try out at the Edmonton Oilers training camp. On October 5, 2014, he was released from the Oilers pre-season roster and later opted to sign a one-year contract with Northern Irish club, the Belfast Giants of the EIHL on October 30, 2014.[10]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2003–04 Princeton University ECAC 25 3 3 6 48 — — — — —
2004–05 Princeton University ECAC 29 4 3 7 36 — — — — —
2005–06 Princeton University ECAC 29 10 13 23 36 — — — — —
2006–07 Princeton University ECAC 33 8 16 24 40 — — — — —
2006–07 Manchester Monarchs AHL 14 1 2 3 44 — — — — —
2007–08 Manchester Monarchs AHL 69 6 6 12 191 4 0 0 0 6
2008–09 Manchester Monarchs AHL 65 4 6 10 165 — — — — —
2008–09 Los Angeles Kings NHL 9 0 0 0 9 — — — — —
2009–10 Manchester Monarchs AHL 76 11 14 25 180 6 1 0 1 10
2010–11 Los Angeles Kings NHL 56 0 3 3 105 6 0 2 2 14
2011–12 Los Angeles Kings NHL 25 1 1 2 39 — — — — —
2012–13 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 31 2 2 4 45 — — — — —
2013–14 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 12 0 0 0 4 — — — — —
2013–14 Calgary Flames NHL 36 4 3 7 64 — — — — —
2014–15 Belfast Giants EIHL 39 13 7 20 91 4 0 0 0 4
NHL totals 169 7 9 16 266 6 0 2 2 14

Awards and honours

Award Year
NHL
Stanley Cup 2012 [7]

Personal life

Kevin is married to Meagan Westgarth (born Cowher), daughter of former NFL head coach Bill Cowher.[11] They met while attending Princeton University, where Meaghan played on the varsity basketball team.[12] They were wed in 2011, and make their home in Raleigh, NC.[11] Through his marriage, Westgarth is the brother-in-law of current Atlanta Hawks player, Ryan Kelly.

References

  1. 1 2 "Player Bio Kevin Westgarth". Los Angeles Kings. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
  2. ↑ Hackel, Stu (January 24, 2009). "A.H.L. Player Suffers Seizure After Fight". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
  3. ↑ "Painful night". LAKingsInsider.com. 2010-09-23. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  4. ↑ "Sharks on top against Kings". CBS Sports. 2011-04-21. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
  5. ↑ "Stars 3, Kings 2". National Hockey League. 2011-11-23. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  6. ↑ Matsuda, Gann (2011-11-29). "Westgarth Celebrates First NHL Goal With Teammates, Family, Friends and Fans". Gann Matsuda/Frozenroyalty.net. Retrieved 2013-01-02.
  7. 1 2 "Westgarth '07 wins Stanley Cup". Princeton Tigers. 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  8. ↑ "Hurricanes acquire key lockout negotiator Westgarth". Globe and Mail. 2013-01-13. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  9. ↑ "Hurricanes trade Westgarh to Flames". National Hockey League. 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  10. ↑ "Enforcer Westgarth signs with Belfast team". Sportsnet.ca. 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  11. 1 2 Pinchevsky, Tal (15 May 2012). "Cowher's love for hockey grows over time". National Hockey League.
  12. ↑ "Meagan Cowher". Princeton University.

External links

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