NHL veteran Chris Kelly has signed a professional tryout agreement with the Belleville Senators, the Ottawa Senators’ AHL affiliate with the hopes of getting back to the NHL, the team announced Friday.
The 37-year-old center went to camp with the Edmonton Oilers on a PTO, but didn’t make it and the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch tweets that he has been skating with Ottawa more recently and is ready to make his comeback. The long-time Senator, who played with the franchise last year after six years in Boston, has played in 833 NHL games. He played in all 82 games for Ottawa last season and had five goals and seven assists, but also posted a -17 plus/minus ratio. He has played seven of his 12 years with the Senators.
He is expected to be in Belleville’s lineup for their game Saturday against the Toronto Marlies.