LOVELAND, Colo. — The Colorado Eagles have signed defensemen Connor Kelley and Hank Kempf to two-year, AHL contracts starting in the 2025–26 season. Both players will join the club for the remainder of the season on amateur tryouts (ATO).

Kelley was a seventh round draft pick (204 overall) by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021. In his five seasons playing NCAA hockey, Kelley collected 38 points (7g/31) in 156 games. He spent the last three seasons with Providence College after transferring from Minnesota-Duluth.

The former Frier can shut down the angle of attack for a forward and cut them off before they can make a play. He is quick and uses that to break up plays before they develop. Kelley has traditionally been an offensive defenseman before college, but transitioned his role in the last few years.

Kempf will be the one that most people will talk about. The trade with the New York Rangers on March 1, which brought Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche, secured Kempf’s rights.

The Rangers drafted Kempf in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He has played for the last four years with Cornell University playing 134 games. The first two seasons there he was teammates with Matthew Stienburg and Sam Malinski. Kempf racked up 25 points (4g/21a) in his time with Cornell.

The former Ivy leaguer plays a heavy and physical game. This will work to the benefit of the Eagles now that Keaton Middleton is with the Avs. Kempf is great at scanning ahead of the play to eliminate any oncoming threats. He can help activate the rush out of the zone and shut down the neutral zone as well.

The Avalanche had to sign Kempf before the August 15 deadline. So It is encouraging to see that they are taking care of business before the end of the season, especially with Taylor Makar. These additions will strengthen the Eagles’ back end and bottom six, which will be crucial for a long playoff run next season.