Education
Harvard University.
Harvard University.
Welch was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2001 National Hockey League Entry Draft, chosen 54th overall in the 2nd round. Noah was the captain of the Harvard University Hockey team, graduating in 2005. Before his college career at Harvard he played high school hockey at Saint Sebastian"s School in Needham, Massachusetts.
Welch made his National Hockey League debut in the latter stages of the 2005–2006 season for the Penguins in a victory over the New York Islanders picking up his first National Hockey League point with an assistant
In his next game against the Montreal Canadiens, having replaced the suspended Eric Cairns, he suffered a nightmare start, scoring in his own Netto, but made amends by scoring his first National Hockey League goal in the third period against the team he always cheered against as a child and Boston Bruins fan. In total he scored four points (one goal, three assists) in five games.
He was named to the AHL 2007 All-Star game, representing the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. On February 27, 2007, Welch was traded by the Penguins to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Gary Roberts.
After two seasons with the Panthers, Welch was traded along with a third round draft pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Steve Eminger.
A short time after that, he instead signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Thrashers. Foreign season 2011-2012, Welch signed a one-year contract with the Swedish team HV71 in the Swedish elite league Elitserien (Studies in English Literature). He scored 10 points in 51 games.
In May 2012 he signed a one-year contract with the Studies in English Literature team Växjö Lakers.