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Ex-Tiger Kelly signs with Anaheim

February 28, 2018   ·   0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte

Olympic medalist, Spengler Cup winner, and NHL athlete.
It has been a whirlwind 2018 for hockey player Chris Kelly, who seemed destined to hang up his skates for good at the end of the last NHL season.
Yet now, with two medals around his neck, the 37-year-old is getting another chance with the Anaheim Ducks.
Kelly, who captained Canada to a bronze medal performance in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, said in a media scrum he was “blown away” by what has come his way this calendar year.
“It’s great to know that I still have it in me to compete with the best, and that I can be recognized for it as well,” said Kelly. “This whole experience has been really amazing, and motivating, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the NHL.”
A native of Bowmanville, ON, Kelly made his junior hockey debut with the junior A Aurora Tigers in 1996, helping the team to their second-ever league title with 34 points in 49 games.
After captaining the OHL’s London Knights, a seven-year stint with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators ended when he was dealt to the Boston Bruins in 2011, where he spent six more seasons before retiring from the NHL.
It was his spectacular play with Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in January, where he helped the team to their third straight gold medal winning performance, where he once again sparked interest from the professional hockey world.
With more than 800 NHL games under his belt, the most experienced player in the room was handed the ‘C’ heading into the Olympic Games, where he notched two goals and one assist in six games played.
Earning interest from a number of NHL teams, it was the Ducks that landed the Canadian captain with a one-year deal, a contract of just over one-million dollars signed on Sunday.
The Aurora Tigers tweeted out their congratulations to Kelly, adding “The Town of Aurora will be cheering for you.”

         

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