Kelly returns to Senators, signing one-year deal with his first NHL club

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators have signed forward Chris Kelly to a one-year contract worth US$900,000.

Kelly returns to the team for which he began his career after playing  his first 463 NHL games with the Senators. He registered 75 goals, 101 assists and 249 penalty minutes over that span and was a member of the 2007 Ottawa team that made the franchise’s only appearance in the Stanley Cup final.

On Feb. 11, 2011, Kelly was traded to Boston in exchange for the Bruins’ second-round pick in the 2011 NHL Draft (Shane Prince, drafted 61st overall). Over five-plus seasons with the Bruins, he recorded 101 points in 288 games.

Kelly won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011 and appeared in the final when Boston was defeated by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013.

“We are excited to welcome Chris back to Ottawa,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said in a statement. “In our evaluation of our roster we felt that we needed to add another player with the ability to succeed in close situations and on the penalty kill. Chris will be able to contribute to both of those while adding another accomplished leader to our group.”

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In 751 career NHL games, Kelly has scored 118 goals and added 159 assists for 277 points. He has 12 goals and 20 assists in 90 career playoff games.

A Toronto native, Kelly was originally selected with Ottawa’s third-round pick, 94th overall, in the 1999 NHL draft.

The Canadian Press