It would be tough for an NHL player to have a better July than the one Parker Kelly just experienced.
The month began with a career-affirming contract and ended with his wedding. For the Kellys, their time in Colorado is just getting started.
“It was a fun summer,” Kelly said. “We had lots of other weddings to go to (as well). We’re kind of getting into that age where everyone is getting married, so we were pretty busy.”
Kelly signed a two-year contract on July 1, 2024 with the Avalanche. At the time, he was a relatively unknown 25-year-old forward who had just set career bests in goals, points and games played with the Ottawa Senators.
Fast forward 365 days, and the Avs had several players entering the final year of their contracts who were eligible for extensions. Kelly was the first to sign, inking a four-year pact worth $1.7 million per year — more than double what he made his first season with the club.
He’s now under contract for five more seasons in Colorado, and is one of six players on the roster signed through at least 2030.
“Easy,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said when asked what made Kelly a player the organization wanted to commit four more years to. “Just watching him operate every day. He’s a committed guy. Love his skating. We have the flexibility with him to be able to play middle or the wing.
“Just a highly competitive guy that wants to win, and his details are really good. Kind of fits the mold of what we’ve had in our successful third and fourth lines in the past. So he’s easily identifiable as a guy that we can move forward with.”
Kelly finished his first season in Denver with eight goals and 19 points over 80 games, almost identical numbers from the previous year in Ottawa. He became a trusted glue guy for the Avs, starting the year at center for the first time in his professional career and then settling in as the wing on Bednar’s new “identity line” next to Jack Drury and Logan O’Connor.
For all of the star power this franchise possesses, it’s not a coincidence that O’Connor and Kelly are two of those six Avs with contracts that reach the next decade.
“I was on the (golf) course with my dad,” Kelly said. “We were just like, ‘What? This is crazy.’ But now there’s expectations with this contract, too. I’m ready to take that stride and live up to those expectations. There’s also responsibility, too. They put their trust in me, and now I’ve got to return the favor. I’ve got to show that on the ice and off the ice.”
Playing center was new for Kelly last year, just like it was for Ross Colton the season before. The Avs needed both to make the move out of necessity.
This season, Bednar would like to keep both players on the wing. Drury was the club’s No. 4 center after arriving in January, and the Avs would like him to prove he can center the third line. They also have three young players — Zakhar Bardakov, Ivan Ivan and Nikita Prishchepov — who could emerge as the 4C.
“Look at (Kelly’s) analytics, look at his game in Ottawa — one of his major strengths is how effective he is on the forecheck,” Bednar said. “He played center for us for half the season, then we got Drury. We moved him to the wing, and immediately, you saw the impact he could make on the forecheck and just how good that line was. So I don’t want to take away that strength to put him in the middle.”
For Kelly, the burden of playing in a contract year, the wondering and worrying about the future, has been lifted. After three years of trying to force his way into the NHL and two in Ottawa trying to carve out a role, he’s found a home.
“It was a lot of fun to go through that process,” Kelly said. “Happy to stay here and get some insurance. It was a great day and we celebrated with lots of friends and family. It was awesome.
“It’s a great city to live in. My wife and I love it here. It’s a direct flight from Edmonton. There’s no layover in Toronto, which is nice. It’s an easy flight for family to come down and see us.”
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