Born in Cobourg, Ontario Mike Kelly was the inaugural General Manager of the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League when the Dukes of Hamilton moved from Hamilton to Guelph in 1991. For six seasons he devoted his heart and soul to building a club - that in its first season had a record of 4-51-11 - into a franchise that was admired across the hockey world. His eye for talent was superb and by the 1994-95 season the Storm had captured their first Ontario Hockey League (OHL) regular season championship with a sparkling 47-14-5 record. Kelly would be named the OHL's Executive of the Year that season. The following year the Storm was again very strong (45-16-5) and while they lost the OHL championship game to Peterborough in overtime in game 7, they still qualified for the franchise's first Memorial Cup appearance. But Mike Kelly was more than just an astute hockey man.
He was insistent that players receive a quality education while playing for the Storm. They were expected to be in class and responsible. Students were held accountable if their marks weren't up to par. He taught players that it was a privilege to play in the OHL and that being active in the community and working with others was part of that responsibility. Kelly left the Storm after the 1996-97 season to pursue a professional scouting opportunity with the Calgary Flames of the NHL but would return for his second stint as Storm General Manager in 2010. Under his leadership the club won the OHL championship during the 2013-14 season. Their record of 52-12-2 and 108 points was a new high point for the franchise. At the Memorial Cup the team breezed through the round robin portion undefeated, before losing a heartbreaker to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the final.
“You can do a lot of positive things in this world,” said Kelly, “and I took a lot of satisfaction in grooming kids for their future, whatever that might be. We always had two priorities – winning hockey games and developing young people.”
Inducted into the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame May 15, 2023
