For Jeremy Welsh, a native of Bayfield, Ontario, Canada, it was a forgone conclusion that hockey was going to be in his future.

“I can’t really answer why I got into hockey,” Welsh said. “Where I grew up that’s what all the other kids were doing and there weren’t really any other sports to play. I never really made a decision to play hockey, it was just what you did.”

What wasn’t a forgone conclusion though was what role the game of hockey would have in Welsh’s life. Would it be just a hobby, like it is for so many other talented players, or could it blossom into a potential career down the road?

This question was answered when Welsh was 19-years-old playing in his first of two seasons of  Junior A hockey with the Oakville Blades of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), where he played from 2007-2009, serving as team captain under head coach Carlo Coccimiglio.

Welsh’s career as a Blade was a decorated one.  In his first year (2007-08), he led the team to a Bucland Cup Title, Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship, Ontario Hockey Association Championship, and participated in the Royal Bank Cup where he was voted best forward. The following year, he was a 2009 OJHL All-Star.

“The idea of turning hockey into a career probably came when I was 19 and playing junior A. We had a really good season playing against top junior A teams,” said Welsh. “That’s when I first started talking to some schools about scholarships and realized I could be a good player.”

Welsh admitted that he had always been curious about a career in hockey and once he received interest from schools to play collegiately, his belief in his abilities was reaffirmed. It was at this point that his approach to the game changed.

“Once I started talking to schools, that’s when I started training full-time in the summer and started to become a little more dedicated.”

The extra training certainly paid off and his efforts were noticed by the coaches at Union College in Schenectady, New York, who offered Welsh the scholarship he had been working so hard for. It didn’t take much more than a campus tour for Welsh to realize that Schenectady would be his new home.

“The education was important to me, I wanted to get the best education I could,” Welsh continued, “When I visited and walked around the campus it was so beautiful.”

From a hockey perspective, the school also proved to be a perfect fit for the young center.  

“I liked all of the coaches and what they were about. The people there, the vibes, everything was great, I couldn’t really say no. I never really looked at any more schools after that.”

Moving to a new city, or in Welsh’s case, a new country brings with it some change. For Welsh though, there weren’t really any changes associated with the move.

“Not really a big adjustment, I was 21 when I went to school, so living in a dorm with people that were 17 going on 18 so that was a little weird being so much older that first year.  But most of the guys on the team were older Western Canadian guys anyway. Hockey guys are hockey guys.”

Naturally, moving from Junior to Divison I hockey in a tough Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) requires some adjustments. Welsh couldn’t pinpoint one or two specific adjustments he made during the transition, but acknowledged that it required being a “more complete player.”

“At each level you have to become more complete, or better at different things. In order to get time on the ice in college I had to move to the wing, kill penalties and that kind of stuff. You have to pick up a lot of different tools, when you’re younger, as one of the better players, you can rely on talent and do your thing, but not in college. You just have to find a role for yourself at each level.”

Regardless of the adjustments, Welsh flourished both on and off the ice as a freshman at Union.

“Going into freshman year, I had no idea how much fun it would be, getting to know all your new teammates,” Welsh said. “I mean it was very hard, but it was fun because you got to be with your best buddies on the team.”

On the ice, Welsh shined. He was one of only two freshmen to play all 39 games for the Dutchmen in 2009-10, a season where the Dutchmen reached the ECAC finals. As a sophomore, he helped Union win the ECAC Championship and advance to the national tournament. As a junior Welsh and the rest of the Union squad made it to the NCAA Frozen Four.

Looking back on a very successful three years at Union, Welsh speaks fondly of his time as a Dutchmen.

“Looking back, I can’t say there were any low points to my career at Union, it was just a great experience all around. Each year we were able to accomplish something new and exciting and just to be a part of those three great teams and the progression of the program was an honor.”

It should also be noted that in addition to helping his team to three strong seasons, Welsh also accumulated his fair share of individual awards and accolades. These included All-ECAC Hockey Third Team (2010–11), All-ECAC Hockey Second Team (2011–12), AHCA East Second-Team All-American (2011–12), ECAC Hockey All-Tournament Team (2012), and the Union College William A. Pike Award which is presented to a junior male athlete for attitude, ability, participation and achievement in intercollegiate sports.

At the NHL Draft, Welsh did not hear his name called and went undrafted. While it wasn’t the result he hoped for, he was not surprised.

“I wasn’t snubbed or anything like that. I was so far off the radar,” Welsh said. “At that time, I was so far behind those guys that were getting drafted. My thought was that if I kept putting the work in and got better each summer I’d be able to catch those guys.”

Welsh was right, he put in the extra work and later signed a one-year entry level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on April 5, 2012.  Just two days later, he made his NHL debut against the Florida Panthers.

“My first NHL game was pretty cool. I played a lot against Florida and wasn’t feeling too much pressure,” Welsh said. “I was grateful to get the opportunity to play in my first NHL game so early on in my career, but really it just motivated me to keep improving.”

Prior to the start of his second season in the NHL, Welsh learned first-hand the very business-like nature of the league when he was traded, something he became all too familiar with early in his career.   

“My first three years were with three different organizations so I felt like I was bounced around a lot but once you go through that, there’s not much fear about being traded,” Welsh commented. “I’ve learned that a trade can either be the best or the worst thing to happen to you, you really won’t know until a year or two later,” Welsh continued. “You know what they say, it’s a great game, but a terrible business. The most important thing I’ve learned so far is not to worry about trades and just enjoy the game.”

Like any job, there are some bad times, but there are also some unforgettable moments like scoring your first NHL goal, which Welsh did as a member of the Vancouver Canucks on November 22, 2013 against Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. 

WATCH: Jeremy Welsh score his first NHL goal

Though his first goal is something he and his family will never forget, he didn’t let the moment go to his head. For Welsh, the first goal is just one of many NHL milestones he hopes to cross off the list.

“It’s great to get that goal, you can be happy about it for a minute, but it just makes you want more, it makes you want your second and makes you want to score every game.”

What Welsh considers the most memorable moment of his career thus far was the opportunity to play in his first Saturday night broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) with Vancouver. The opportunity had sentimental value, as is the case for many Canadian-born players who grow up watching HNIC.

“Playing live on Hockey Night in Canada was very cool for me, especially since I grew up watching it, that has probably been the coolest moment in my career so far.”

Welsh, like many pros, remained tight-lipped about the individual goals he sets for himself prior to every season.

“Those are private, you don’t want to go counting off all of your goals, but they’re pretty lofty. The biggest thing for me is just to keep enjoying the game regardless.  I’ve accepted that I can’t play this game forever so I just want to enjoy it and see whatever league or country it takes me to.”

Right now, hockey has taken the 28-year-old center to Rosemont, Illinois where he recently began his second season with the Chicago Wolves, the American Hockey League affiliate of the St. Louis Blues.  Last season, Welsh finished fourth in team scoring with 41 points in 75 games, had a +/- of +8, and lead the League with 4 short handed goals.

“Last year was a great year, I loved it here and was really excited to re-sign, Welsh said. “It’s a great organization, very well run, we have great fan support here in Rosemont and its really nice to be in a city like Chicago. It’s very fun to play hockey here. ”

No one knows the uncertainty and unpredictability of professional sports better than Jeremy Welsh, which is why he stresses the following advice to anyone wishing to pursue a hockey career.

“You’ve got to love the game and just want to play hockey just to play hockey.”

In addition to a love for the game, the other half of the equation that leads to a long and successful career is the ability to stay healthy and injury free.

Welsh has been fortunate to stay injury free throughout his entire career (knock on wood). At Union, he never missed a game, playing in a total of 119 games for the Dutchmen. At the professional level, the trend has continued, Welsh has yet to miss a game since turning pro in 2012.

“I don’t know, some people may be more susceptible to injury I guess. I think if you train hard and take care of yourself in the summer and the season you’re ahead of the game. I’ve tried to do that and I think that’s why I’ve been healthy.”

One thing is for sure, with a clean bill of health, a strong love and passion for the game, and the skillset to match, the future looks promising for the young center from Bayfield, ON in 2015.