Tanner Kero thriving in first pro season

 

By Michael Caples –

Tanner Kero just keeps on scoring.

The Hancock, Mich., native racked up 46 points in 41 games with his Michigan Tech Huskies last season, en route to being named the WCHA’s player of the year.

Now, he’s doing the same thing in the pros.

Through his first seven games with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, Kero has eight points in seven games. He’s also an impressive plus-seven, considering he’s a 23-year-old rookie skating against professional competition to start a season for the first time.

The AHL just named him the CCM/AHL Player of the Week, after recording three goals, one assist and a plus-five rating in three games last week.

“Get better, prove that I can play at that level and try to contribute both on and off the ice and contribute on both ends of the ice,” Kero told MiHockey recently, when asked what he wanted to accomplish in his first pro season. “I try to be a two-way player, so I’ve got to help our defensively and work on that part of my game and then the offense will come.”

It helps, of course, that Kero got a taste of AHL hockey last spring. After the conclusion of his senior season with Michigan Tech, he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, and immediately joined their AHL affiliate in Rockford.

Kero had no problems scoring then, either. He recorded five goals in six regular-season games, and then added two goals and one assist in six playoff games.

“It was a good experience,” Kero said. “It was good to get the feet wet, learn some of the guys, get with the coaching staff and kind of get a feel for how they conduct themselves off and on the ice. I thought it was a good experience.”

MORE: Michigan Tech’s Tanner Kero named Player of the Year; full list of WCHA award winners | Hyman, Wydo, Kero named Hobey Baker finalists

This is old news for Huskies fans, though. Kero’s scoring prowess was a big reason for Michigan Tech’s recent resurgence in the college hockey realm. The Huskies reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1981 last spring, under the guidance of coach and alum Mel Pearson.

“It was exciting,” Kero said. “Being from that area, watching Tech growing up, I saw the ups and downs through the years, so to be able to be a part of it and have a really good year, a little disappoint finis hat the end, but to be a part of that was pretty special.”

Kero left knowing the program was in good hands with Pearson, however.

“He’s a great guy,” Kero said. “He knows the game. It’s unbelievable how much he knows about hockey and how much he can teach you every day on and off the ice, so just every day you’re learning a new thing from him, from his experiences, so just trying to learn as much as I can and adapt that to my hockey now.”

While he was sad to leave Houghton, he values the opportunities before him.

“A little bit, some of the guys. You build that four-year friendship with a lot of them, so it’ll be different, but now it’s time to move on and create more friendships.”