It was only a month ago when Colorado College coach Kris Mayotte found out that Emily West, the Tigers’ first-year director of hockey operations and video coach, had scored a NCAA national championship game-winning goal on a penalty shot.
“No (way),” Mayotte said, shortly before seeing YouTube footage of West’s goal for Minnesota in the 2012 Women’s Frozen Four title game against Wisconsin. And then that moment came up, however casually, in a private conversation at CC’s Ed Robson Arena.
“I walked into the coaches’ room one day, and we all hang out after practice and discuss players, plays, just coaches’ talk, but Kris approached me and was like, ‘You didn’t tell me you won the national championship on a penalty shot.’” West said. “‘Oh. Where’d you hear that?’”
Full disclosure: Mayotte heard it from me. I covered that game, the last of West’s redshirt senior season with the Golden Gophers, on-site in Duluth, Minn., for NCAA.com. Her penalty shot, the first one ever in a women’s Frozen Four final, happened with 1:32 left in a five-goal first period. Minnesota went on to win 4-2.
“We talked about it for a while, and I told him it’s not the first thing I tell people when I meet them, but he was super stoked about it and supportive, and we got a few good laughs out of it,” West continued. “I know the players knew, and when I first got here, they were HockeyDB’ing me and looking at some stuff, and I know one of them found a video of the play.
“I knew they knew, but I feel like I’m old now, I don’t know, but it’s a very memorable moment and I’ll never forget it, and that it happened in a national championship game is rare, so that’s something that will always stick with me, but I dropped the ball on letting Kris know about that one.”
After graduating from Minnesota, West worked for USA Hockey as an American Development Model manager for female hockey, before taking an assistant coach position with Ohio State’s women’s team. She had a part in the Buckeyes’ 2022 national championship success, then moved back to Colorado later that year to spend more time with family.
“I had somebody reach out to me around then about Emily, and we had introductory conversations last year, gauging interest and getting to know each other a little bit,” Mayotte said. “This summer, when staff opportunities expanded, we were looking for someone that we thought could be a great office person but also help with video and have that hockey background and work ethic.
“When you talk to people about her, everybody raves about her, and she has been an absolute rock star. She is the best that we’ve had, for sure, and she has been a huge contributor to our staff. Hiring her felt like a no-brainer. She’s always on the ice, too, and she can play. She’s a better skater and a puck-mover than I am.”
She had long honed her craft. Born and raised in Black Forest, Colo., just outside of Colorado Springs, West played on boys hockey teams growing up. Her family had season tickets at Broadmoor World Arena, the 8,000-seat, off-campus facility that CC long called home before Robson opened in 2021.
“We’d get there and sit in the nosebleeds, but I didn’t care,” West said. “I just wanted to be there. I had a silk gold CC jersey I got for Christmas, with green eyes on the Tiger logo. I grew up coming to these games, and to be able to now participate and help with the program is amazing.
“The facility we have now is beautiful, it has everything you need, and to be able to have it on-campus and closer for students has made it a community deal. You don’t have to make that longer drive, and students can walk across the street to get there, and the fans are amazing and have been super supportive. We’ve sold out most games this season, and to see that and have it at the heart of the college is a really cool transition from what I grew up with.”
West isn’t behind the Tigers’ bench for games, but is no stranger to the ice, as she goes out for practices to skate in a non-coaching role.
“That’s my favorite part of the day, when I’m on the ice and back in the game. I love that side of it, and to be able to go on the ice and be with the team is an amazing experience,” she said.
“I try to provide any sort of hockey knowledge I can, but at the same time, I’m still learning from our staff. The professionalism and the respect among our staff is amazing, and we all work in tandem very well together. I have different roles being in ops and planning travel and those things that go under that title, but I also feel like I get to contribute my hockey knowledge and experience, and it’s heard.”
And that respect is reciprocated by a CC coaching staff that highly values’ West’s contributions to their program, and what she offers for hockey on a wider scale.
“This is an environment where I tip my hat to Kris Mayotte and all the other coaches here, because they foster positivity and learning and change,” West said. “It’s really amazing, and if I’m lucky enough to continue being a part of this and move into a coaching role in the men’s world or women’s world, that’s something that crosses my mind, absolutely.
“And it’s really cool to be back in Colorado coaching and doing this at a place where I grew up and with a team that I grew up watching. I’m overjoyed, and I would be so lucky to be here again and again. I’m smiling ear to ear, and our staff here has really made me feel like I’m at home.”
