Thrashers' Welch humble to be back in the NHL

NEW YORK -- Noah Welch has come full circle. Again.

It’s been a long journey for the Thrashers defenseman, who last played an NHL game on April 11, 2009, for Tampa Bay. The game was, ironically, against the Thrashers.

After recovering from knee surgery and playing an abbreviated AHL season last year, Welch wore a Thrashers uniform for the first time in a regular-season game Wednesday night against the New York Rangers. With Zach Bogosian and Freddy Meyer out with injury, Welch was re-called from AHL Chicago.

“It’s really humbling,” Welch said. “I was thinking about it [Tuesday]. I signed my first NHL contract in Florida and that was supposed to be my breakthrough as an NHL defenseman. It didn’t work out. It’s been a long road with surgeries."

There was one big benefit from spending last season in Chicago. Welch met his future wife there.

“I didn’t want to be in Chicago at all,” Welch said. “It’s just another reminder of how blessed I am.”

He didn’t want to be in Chicago this year, either. Welch appeared in just one exhibition game with the Thrashers before being assigned to the AHL.

“I’m not going to lie, it was tough when I got sent down,” Welch said. “I thought I played well and I was hoping to get another [exhibition] game in. I know that there are a lot of guys that are worthy and deserve to be in my position right now. I’m very grateful to be here.”

Thrashers coach Craig Ramsay said the organization considered bringing up a young prospect, such as Arturs Kulda or Alexey Zubarev.However, Welch's training camp performance and 73 games of NHL experience were the determining factors.

“He only played one game in the preseason, but he played very well,” Ramsay said. “We were looking at perhaps a couple of the younger defenseman, but he played extremely well in the game. They said he’s playing extremely well in Chicago. He’s the guy that deserves the chance to play, so he’s here.”

Welch was a second-round pick of Florida in 2001. He has also played for Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay before signing with the Thrashers as a free agent last July.

The length of Welch’s call-up will be determined by the recovery of Bogosian (shoulder) and Meyer (mid-body). Bogosian missed his sixth straight game. Meyer hasn’t been on the ice since Saturday’s game at Washington. Neither made the trip to New York.