Former Husky and Hancock’s own Tanner Kero played for the Chicago Blackhawks in the ninth annual NHL Winter Classic last Monday.
While in a Tech uniform Kero boasted 55 goals over 153 career games. He helped lead the Huskies to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 34 years as well as the first GLI title in 32 years in 2012.
Kero was called up to the Blackhawks in December and has since appeared in four NHL games. Last season he played with the Blackhawks for 17 games, scoring a goal and two assists. Kero played with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL and had seven goals and thirteen assists before getting called up. He was the leading scorer for the IceHogs. This is Kero’s second year playing pro hockey.
“I’m used to the professional lifestyle away from the rink and having to be at the rink every day. To have that one year of experience to learn and see what it takes to play at the AHL level, and then getting a few games at the NHL level, you see what you have to do to take that next step,” Kero commented on life as a professional hockey player.
Life outside the rink is changing for Kero as well as he is adjusting to fatherhood.
“My wife Taylor and our six-week old baby are coming down [to watch the Winter Classic] and so are my mom and dad and sister Jordana. It’ll be the first game our little boy gets to watch so that’s pretty special,” Kero commented.
Kero is number 67 on the ice for the Blackhawks, a number only 20 players in NHL history have ever worn.
“That was just given to me. It’s what I got when I went to my first prospect camp and it was still there when I got called up last year. I feel like I might’ve been able to ask about changing it but I figured I would wait to be here a while before I start asking about switching,” Kero commented.
The Chicago Blackhawks are set to battle the Washington Capitals on Friday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. CST.
