Kelly Cooke ’09 has built a trailblazing career at the forefront of women’s hockey officiating while also working as a corporate lawyer. Cooke recently took the ice as an official for the women’s Olympic gold medal game in Milan. Just weeks before Team USA won Gold, she was in the Bliss Omni Rink refereeing a Nobles girls varsity hockey game. When she’s not at the Olympics or at her full-time job, Cooke can also be found dropping the puck and blowing the whistle for fellow Nobles graduates while officiating collegiate women’s hockey games.
Being part of the 2026 Olympic Games was truly a dream come true and something that I will cherish forever. The gold medal assignment was a true honor and a reflection of the many mentors, friends, family, and the hockey community who helped me achieve that dream on the biggest stage.
In this profile from the summer 2025 issue of Nobles magazine, part of the celebration of 50 Years of Women at Nobles, Cooke reflects on the community, mentors, and values that shaped her path and continue to guide her work on and off the ice. You can also read more about Cooke’s officiating journey in this article by Massachusetts Youth Hockey.
Kelly Cooke ’09
Breaking New Ground
Collegiate and international women’s hockey official; corporate lawyer, Boston Scientific
On breaking barriers: I referee Division I women’s hockey and international hockey, and that led me to being at the forefront of breaking barriers for female officials. I was lucky enough to be one of four women who was the first to referee an NHL-level event, and that was really cool, because it had never been done before. Nobles prepared me for these moments—for wanting to pave a path for people behind you. So many people have done that for me, especially as a female athlete, and that has led me to have that mentality going forward. I referee a lot of international hockey; I did the Olympics in 2022, and I’m going back in 2026. A lot of that comes from starting as a student-athlete at Nobles and having all of those older kids to look up to. Seeing how they do things and adopting those ways set me up for a lot of success.
On Nobles hockey: Joining a team that has such a strong legacy and tradition and being part of that family, where you have all those people that came before you, was awesome. The way Mr. [Tom] Resor ran the program, with a team-first mentality that valued the success of the team above all else and embraced each and every teammate, has helped me both as a hockey player and in the corporate world. Those are the values that have really resonated with me and made it easy for me to be successful as a hockey player, but even more so as a lawyer now.
On teamwork outside athletics: I was a boarder at Nobles, so I had that community. The academics also felt very team-oriented. It was more collaborative than I expected, coming to a rigorous academic setting. The whole campus embodies the ideals of teamwork, and that was something that was really pertinent.
On generosity: Doing good is a big part of where I’m at now toward the end of my career as a referee—giving back and making sure younger girls have resources that I didn’t have. It’s still a male-dominated sport at times, but making sure they have a role model that I might not have had growing up is kind of my big thing now. I am trying to give back and get more hockey players into reffing, because at some point people’s careers come to an end, but there are certain avenues that they can take after they’re done because they still love the game.
On values and a legal career: Nobles’ values are deeply rooted in my everyday life and in my current role as an attorney at Boston Scientific. They shape my future goal to continue to be a part of creating solutions for various healthcare needs. Working for a company that develops innovative and life-changing technology in the medical device space is both intellectually challenging and extremely rewarding. That was one of my guiding principles in moving over there: doing good as a lawyer, and not just being a lawyer.
On community and connection: The relationships you make at Nobles will last forever. Even to this day, some of my best friends are people I met at Nobles. The relationships from those four short years of high school are some of the most important in my life.
Photo Credit: IIHF Media, Kelly Cooke
