Parker Kelly's career season has not only helped the Colorado Avalanche to where they are today, but helping save the planet, one whale at a time
When all is said and done on the 2025-26 NHL season, Parker Kelly’s name will be one to remember. Of course, Nathan MacKinnon's potential multi-award-winning season, Cale Makar’s own award-winning season, and Martin Necas' career season will all be factors when we look back on this season and what it was like, but Kelly’s is going to be one that many Avalanche fans will remember.
Not only is it a career season that has him blowing his previous career-highs out of the water, but how his production compares to his cap hit makes his four-year $6.8 million contract extension look like one of the best bottom-six signings this management has ever made/will ever make. It's how his 20 and counting goals not only affected the Avalanche team, but the community as a "whole", if you catch my drift.
A “Whale” Of A Time
Enter Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports, as Parker Kelly’s season went on, his goal scoring gave pace to what could be a 20+ goal season. Meghan put out a tweet that was a challenge to Kelly: if he would hit 20 goals during the regular season, she would adopt a whale through the Oceanic Society, a company that…
"For more than 55 years, we’ve been working to connect people to the ocean and build a movement dedicated to solving the key ocean problems of our time—plastic pollution, unsustainable fishing & aquaculture, and climate change. Our goal is to improve ocean health by addressing the root cause of its decline: human behavior."
It was a simple but fun challenge for the Avalanche community to take part in. The excitement of not only rooting for the Avalanche but also for a player whose career-high in goals (8) last season was broken this season in just 49 games this season.
Before the Milan Olympic break, Kelly had 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points, a new career high in goals and points already set just over halfway through the season. Though like Necas, he has been an even better version of himself coming out of the Olympic break, and the milestone was hit.
In 23 games played, he has eight goals and five assists for 13 points, with the 20th goal coming against last night's 3-2 loss against the St Louis Blues. He is now the sixth Avalanche player to have 20 goals or more.
Meghan stayed true to her word, and not only has she completed the process of adopting “Waffles” (not my first choice as im a big “Bubbles (Baja) fan myself, but Waffles was my runner up), but she has also not ruled out naming a whale as well.
As per their website, there is a list of whales that can be named, spotted around the world, and have not yet been named.
This will be a season to remember, not only if the Avalanche can continue their dominance and push for another Stanley Cup, but also if a player has a terrific season and helps them push for a deep Stanley Cup run.
