Source: Raleigh News & Observer

Union College hockey coach Rick Bennett said his nickname for center Jeremy Welsh was "Big Boy," and with good reason.

Welsh has good size at 6-3 and 210 pounds, and looks bigger on the ice. And when Union needed him, Bennett said, he played big.

"He always took charge when we needed him to take charge, especially in the playoffs," Bennett said.

The Carolina Hurricanes obviously saw the same take-charge attributes in Welsh, 24, who was an All-America selection for the Dutchmen. Just a few hours after Union, located in Schenectady, N.Y., were beaten in the NCAA Frozen Four, the Canes were waiting at the team hotel in Tampa, Fla., to sign him to a free-agent contract.

Two days later, Welsh made his NHL debut in Sunrise, Fla. He played 15 minutes in the Hurricanes' 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in their final regular-season game.

"That was a bit of a confidence boost, that I could do it and I could play," Welsh said. "That was the best-case scenario, to get that taste."

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