Kelly’s coaching influence felt in California and beyond


By Chris Bayee


Rick Kelly that he wanted to eventu- ally settle in California. More than two decades later, the Ontario, Canada, transplant has put down deep roots and established him- self as a developer of elite players and a coach with a track record of success. He’s directed teams to nationals seven times, winning Pee Wee AAA and Bantam AA titles with LA Hockey Club in 2008-09, and he won four of his five Silver Stick championships as a coach. His secret, according those who’ve worked closely to him, is his passion for the game, his willingness to continue to learn and his relatability to his players. “He’s matured greatly,” said long- time California hockey coach Buddy McKinnon, who coached with Kelly at the California Wave back in the 1990s and has known Kelly’s family since he and Kelly’s father were kids. “When I first saw him coaching, he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder.”


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Kelly’s journey led him through ju- nior and minor-pro hockey, where he racked up plenty of points and penalty minutes, often in five-minute incre- ments. Midway through his pro career, he met Fred Nelson, now the hockey director at Aliso Viejo Ice Palace, at the old Costa Mesa rink. “We needed coaches - and this was when there weren’t many guys with pro backgrounds


coaching here,” Nelson


said. “He left three times to continue playing pro hockey, but I took him back every time because he was great on the ice. His relationship with his players was special; they like him and they like his stories.”


From there, Kelly was part of the Wave’s startup group, coaching with Shawn Pitcher and McKinnon, among others. The program introduced birth- year AAA hockey and made its mark by producing dozens of junior, college and pro players. In 2006, Kelly merged a talented


n offseason visit early in his pro- fessional playing career convinced


stable of 95 birth years with another group coached by Sandy Gasseau at LA Hockey Club. The result was a two- time national title team that has four members playing Major Junior hockey and another seven already committed to Division I college hockey programs. He also coached a group of 97s that reached the quarterfinals at nationals this year. “Having winning teams with the 95s and 97s has been fun, but moving the kids on - that’s the biggest thing,” Kelly said. “The social rewards have been in- credible because of the amount of tre- mendous families I’m directly connected with now in California. The best thing is those positive relationships with fami- lies.”


He coached Bill Comrie’s two


younger sons, Eric (a 95 goaltender) and Ty (a 97 forward), for LA Hockey, and he’s given private lessons to another son, former NHL forward Mike. “Rick is passionate about the game,”


Bill Comrie said. “He was just as excited to coach and give lessons to Ty when he was 10 as he was to work with Mike when he was in the NHL.” Comrie has served as an assistant for both of his sons’ teams alongside Kelly, giving him a unique perspective. “He has many strengths,” Comrie said. “One of the most important for me is he’s one of the most honest people I’ve ever met - a strength in hockey and in life. He continues to learn from anybody or any source to make himself a better coach, and he’s very humble about that. “He has this knack to understand the strengths and weaknesses of his players, and then to make the strengths stronger while focusing on removing the weaknesses. He doesn’t allow any of his players to give up. “And he’s an outstanding


bench


coach who makes good, quick decisions.” To


McKinnon, those attributes


speak to one thing. “He cares and he respects the game,” McKinnon said. “He wants those he works with - players and coaches - to do the same and keep it going.”


One of the most respected youth coaches in California, Rick Kelly, pictured offering instruction to former NHLer Mike Comrie, has guided plenty of local teams to on-ice success and players to the junior and college ranks.


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