Tanner Kero

Lore & Background

Kero played for the Marquette Rangers in the NAHL, where he led the league in goals (32) and was named Rookie of the Year. He also played for the Fargo Force in the USHL, posting 13 goals, 24 assists, and 37 points in 55 games, earning a spot on the USHL Western Conference All-Star Team. He attended Michigan Technological University, playing four seasons of NCAA Division I hockey with the Michigan Tech Huskies, registering 55 goals, 56 assists, 111 points, and 67 penalty minutes in 153 games. In his senior year, he was named the 2014–15 WCHA Player of the Year and the 2014–15 NCAA (West) First All-American Team. Professionally, he signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on March 31, 2015, and made his NHL debut on October 29, 2015. He scored his first NHL goal on November 6, 2015. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on June 24, 2018, signed with the Dallas Stars on July 1, 2019, and later played for the Colorado Eagles (AHL) and HV71 (SHL) before joining Kölner Haie.

In Their Own Story

The arena was half-empty, the kind of Tuesday-night AHL game where the ice smells like rubber and cold coffee. Kero laced his skates in the Moose locker room, the white-and-purple Kings logo on his helmet catching the fluorescent light. He'd been here two seasons now, running the same 4-on-4 drills, taking the same body checks from guys twenty pounds heavier. His coach had said it once, matter-of-factly: "Speed gets you noticed. Hockey sense gets you kept." Kero nodded, bit down on his mouthguard, and skated out into the howling cold of the rink. Tonight, though, the phone call was different. Tonight, the Kings wanted him in LA by Thursday. He smiled, tapped his stick on the boards, and went back to work.

Reader's Guide

Tanner Kero is an American forward who played college hockey at Michigan Tech and has professional experience in the NHL, AHL, SHL, and DEL. He is not associated with the Los Angeles Kings.

Did You Know?

• Kero was born in Hancock, Michigan.
• He has five sisters and four brothers; three of his brothers also play hockey.
• While at Michigan Tech, he maintained a 3.68 GPA in mathematics.
• He led the NAHL in goals (32) and was named Rookie of the Year.