Center Paul Kelly has been a leader his entire hockey career. Now he’ll bring those leadership skills to the Tulsa Oilers for the 2007-08 season.

Kelly, 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, helped lead the Dayton Bombers to the ECHL final last season, averaging nearly a point a game in 22 playoff games.

“That’s the thing you notice about Paul, is his playoff numbers from last year,” Oilers head coach Butch Kaebel said. “Paul’s best time is crunch time. He led his team to its league final last year as one of its captains. That’s great leadership.”

Kelly has spent the last two seasons with Dayton. Last year he had 24 goals and 28 assists for 52 points in 71 games, and was a +22. In the postseason, he had 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points and was +15.

Kelly is a good friend of Oilers center Brendon Hodge, who briefed him on the off-season happenings for the Oilers.

“I wouldn’t come here if I didn’t think we were a playoff bound team,” Kelly said. “I came here because the team has signed winners, guys who’ve been around a lot and know how to win.”

The left-handed shooting Kelly hails from Peabody, Mass., and Kaebel notes he’s had success at every step of the hockey ladder, hailing from that hockey hotbed in the Boston area. He says Kelly excels at all aspects of the game, and is especially strong on face-offs and in the defensive zone.

“Paul’s great two way play makes him a strong candidate to get called up,” Kaebel said. “The AHL teams will be watching him.”

The Oilers begin the regular season on Friday October 19th at Amarillo. Their home opener is slated for Friday November 2nd against the Oklahoma City Blazers.




Just what the Bats are looking for.....

Z