Kevin Westgarth
Enforcer forward who won the Stanley Cup with the Kings.
Kevin Reginald Westgarth was born on February 7, 1984, in Amherstburg, Ontario, to Reg and Gilda Westgarth. His older brother, Brett, played four seasons in the American Hockey League. Westgarth began skating outdoors at age two and later played ice hockey, soccer, tennis, and golf at General Amherst High School.
He played two seasons with the Chatham Maroons in the Western Ontario Hockey League from 2001 to 2003. In his first season, he scored 14 goals and 14 assists in 48 games, with 125 penalty minutes—second highest on the team. Despite his physical style, he was named the Maroons’ Academic Player of the Year for 2001–02 and received the Barry Wiseman Memorial Award for on-ice and academic performance. In his second season, he had 9 goals and 7 assists in 21 games. His play and academics earned him a scholarship to Princeton University.
At Princeton, Westgarth majored in psychology. As a freshman, he played on the fourth line and, at 6 feet and 235 pounds, was the tallest and heaviest player on the team. He was ranked 34th out of 35 skaters in U.S. college hockey by NHL Central Scouting for the 2004 draft. He scored his first collegiate goal on November 14, 2003, against Harvard in a 4–2 win. Princeton lost to Rensselaer in the ECAC tournament, finishing 7–24–2. In 25 games, he had 3 goals and 3 assists and led the Tigers in penalty minutes with 48. He went undrafted in 2004.
As a sophomore, Westgarth moved to the third line and gained 10 pounds, reaching 245. In the season opener against St. Cloud State, he scored a slapshot goal in a 7–2 loss. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock volunteered as an assistant coach at Princeton, influencing the team’s style. Princeton lost to St. Lawrence in the ECAC tournament, ending 9–20–3. Westgarth had 4 goals and 3 assists in 29 games.
In his junior season, Westgarth recorded three assists in the opener against Notre Dame on October 29, 2005. On December 30, he scored a goal and an assist in a 4–1 win over defending national champion Denver, knocking Denver out of the NCAA tournament for the first time in six years. Princeton lost to Clarkson in the ECAC tournament, finishing 11–18–3. He improved to 10 goals and 13 assists in 29 games, leading the Tigers in shots on goal and ranking second in plus/minus.
Quick Facts
- Played For
- Los Angeles Kings / Carolina Hurricanes / Calgary Flames
- Position
- Right wing
- Shoots
- Right
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 4
- Weight Lb
- 228
- Birth Date
- 1984-02-07
- Birth Place
- Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada
- Draft
- Undrafted
- Career Start
- 2006
- Career End
- 2015
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Westgarth was born in Amherstburg, Ontario, to Reg and Gilda Westgarth, and began skating outdoors at age two. He played high school hockey at General Amherst High School and also participated in soccer, tennis, and golf. He played two seasons with the Chatham Maroons in the Western Ontario Hockey League, where he was named Academic Player of the Year and received the Barry Wiseman Memorial Award. He then accepted a scholarship to Princeton University, majoring in psychology, and was the tallest and heaviest player on the team. Despite going undrafted in the 2004 NHL entry draft, he improved his scoring each season at Princeton and was signed by the Los Angeles Kings in March 2007.
Westgarth made his NHL debut for the Kings on January 20, 2009. He scored his first NHL goal against Kari Lehtonen on November 23, 2011. A hand injury in February 2012 placed him on long-term injured reserve for the remainder of the season, but the Kings won the Stanley Cup that year and his name was engraved on the cup. During the 2012-13 NHL lockout, he practiced with several members of the Carolina Hurricanes while participating in NHLPA negotiations. Upon ratification of the new agreement, the Kings traded him to the Hurricanes on January 13, 2013. He was later traded to the Calgary Flames on December 30, 2013, where he recorded a career-high 4 goals and 7 points in 36 games. After being released to free agency, he accepted a tryout with the Edmonton Oilers but was released, then signed a one-year contract with the Belfast Giants of the EIHL.
Reader's Guide
Kevin Westgarth's NHL career is defined by his role as an enforcer, a player whose primary contribution was physical intimidation and fighting rather than scoring. His 266 penalty minutes in 169 games far outweigh his 16 points, illustrating the specialized nature of his position. Despite limited offensive production, he was valued enough to be part of the Los Angeles Kings organization when they won their first Stanley Cup in 2012, and his name was engraved on the trophy even though he played only 25 games that season due to injury. His path to the NHL was unconventional: he went undrafted after playing college hockey at Princeton, where he was an academic standout. His enforcer style led to notable incidents, including a fight that caused an opponent to leave the ice on a stretcher after seizures, and another that resulted in facial fractures for an opposing player. After his NHL career ended, he played in the EIHL for the Belfast Giants. Off the ice, he married Meagan Cowher, daughter of former NFL head coach Bill Cowher, whom he met at Princeton.
Did You Know?
- Westgarth was the Academic Player of the Year for the Chatham Maroons in 2001–02.
- Despite playing only 25 games in the 2011–12 season, his name was engraved on the Stanley Cup with the Kings.
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