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Mike Kelly stepping down as GM of Guelph Storm

'I want to go from 450 games a year and 80 and 90 hour weeks to being able to see my grandkids enjoy the things they do'
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Guelph Storm general manager Mike Kelly addresses the players during training camp last September. Tony Saxon/GuelphToday

Mike Kelly sacrificed a lot of quality family time trying to make the Guelph Storm better over his two stints as general manager of the team. Now he says it's time to give back.

Kelly, 66, announced Wednesday that he will be stepping down as GM and vice president of the team when his contract expires in May.

"It's definitely a sad day. After my family there's nothing I love more than this organization than the Storm," he said after meeting with the players in the dressing room just prior to practice Wednesday to tell them the news.

Kelly has been GM of the team since 2010. He was also GM of the team from 1991 to 1996.

"I threw myself into this thing here to try and have some success at the cost of not spending as much time with my kids as I should have," Kelly said of his early years with the Storm.

"I was out doing what I had to do to make the Guelph Storm better. I have a unique opportunity now to spend lots of time with my grandkids and maybe in some way, shape or form that relieves the guilt of not being around for my kids' teenage years as what I wish I had have been."

Kelly and wife Denise plan on moving to the Niagara area to be close to sons David and Mike who both live with their families in the area.

"I can almost assure you that I am not looking to stay in junior hockey. It's just too demanding for what I want to do with my family," Kelly said.

"I want to go from 450 games a year and 80 and 90 hour weeks, which I'm currently doing, to being able to see my grandkids enjoy the things they do, whether it's skiing, soccer or hockey."

While he is done with junior hockey, Kelly said he is open to less demanding offers and would be open to a part-time job as a regional scout with an NHL team.

"I'm open to a part-time scouting position if I can do it in the Niagara region, but failing that I've done some consulting in the past and I'll do some consulting," he said.

He and Storm co-owner Rick Gaetz had some conversations in November about Kelly stepping down but the final decision didn't come until just after this year's trade deadline in January.

He said he has nothing lined up.

Kelly had nothing but praise for the organization and the people he's worked with in Guelph.

"I was the team's first employee in 1991 and we didn't have an office or any furniture. We cleared out a storage room at Memorial Gardens and I slept on the floor the first couple of weeks trying to pull things together, " he remembers.

He said the announcement came now so that the franchise could be transparent heading into the OHL Priority Selection Draft in April.

"It gives some transparency of the situation going into the OHL draft. Better people understand the situation rather than draft somebody and then 10 days or two weeks later 'oh, by the way, the general manager who drafted you isn't there any more.'"

Over his years in Guelph Kelly led the team to three division titles, three OHL regular season titles, three appearances in the OHL championship series and the franchise’s last OHL Championship in 2013-14. Kelly was named OHL Executive of the Year in 1994-95.

“The entire Storm ownership group wants to thank Mike Kelly for his never-ending hard work and dedication in contributing to our past successes, and for helping position the Storm for continued future success,” said team co-owner and president Rick Hoyle in a press release.

The search for a new GM is underway.


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Tony Saxon

About the Author: Tony Saxon

Tony Saxon has had a rich and varied 30 year career as a journalist, an award winning correspondent, columnist, reporter, feature writer and photographer.
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