from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,

Katie Guay and Kelly Cooke, a couple of Massachusetts women with their hockey dreams still evolving, both were on the job Friday night, partnering as referees in the 3-on-3 elite women’s tournament that was newly incorporated into the NHL’s All-Star Weekend in St. Louis.

Guay, 37, and Cooke, 29, also wore the league’s shield in September when they were among the first four women ever chosen to officiate at NHL rookie camps. It was a significant step for all of the women, and especially progressive for a league that has yet to follow the lead of the NBA and NFL in handing women a whistle and making them true in-game stakeholders in their sport.

“I think they’re definitely looking for the right person to break that barrier,” said Cooke, who grew up in Andover and recently became a corporate attorney in Boston. “There’s people out there who are coming up and one could be the right person.”

Perhaps that woman is Guay, who Cooke considers a friend and mentor. Paul Stewart thinks Guay is the most obvious current candidate. Stewart, 66, was an NHL referee for more than 20 years, and later hired Guay and Cooke to officiate men’s Division 1 games during his years assigning ECAC officials....

Stephen Walkom, director of NHL officiating, told nhl.com last fall that women working NHL games “is definitely a possibility.”

According to Bill Daly, the NHL’s deputy commissioner, Walkom’s efforts to make the officiating combine “as inclusive as possible” will pay dividends, making it likely that women will be included in the NHL’s officiating ranks.

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