Tanner Kero
Tanner Kero | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 24, 1992 Hancock, Michigan, United States |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey player |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Known for | Ice hockey player for Kölner Haie in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) |
Tanner James Kero (born July 24, 1992) is a professional ice hockey player from the United States, currently signed with the Kölner Haie competing in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Amateur
Kero launched his hockey journey with the Marquette Rangers in the NAHL, where he led the league by scoring 32 goals and received the "Rookie of the Year" honor. He also competed for the Fargo Force in the USHL, amassing 13 goals and 24 assists over 55 games, which earned him a spot on the USHL Western Conference All-Star Team.
He spent four seasons playing NCAA Division I hockey at Michigan Technological University with the Michigan Tech Huskies, accumulating totals of 55 goals, 56 assists, and 111 points across 153 games. During his final collegiate year, he was recognized as the 2014–15 WCHA Player of the Year and was named to the NCAA (West) First All-American Team.
Professional
On April 2, 2015, Kero inked a two-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. He began the 2015–16 season with their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, before being called up to Chicago in October. Kero debuted in the NHL on October 29, 2015, and netted his first goal shortly thereafter on November 6. The Blackhawks subsequently extended his contract by an additional two years on March 23, 2017.
Kero was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on June 24, 2018, in exchange for Michael Chaput. After completing one season there, he agreed to a two-year, two-way contract with the Dallas Stars starting July 1, 2019.
Following four seasons within Dallas’s organization, Kero signed a one-year AHL contract for the 2023–24 season with the Colorado Eagles, affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.
After ten professional seasons in North America, Kero secured a one-year contract with Swedish SHL team HV71 on July 5, 2024. Throughout that single season, he participated in every game as a top-nine forward, contributing 9 goals and 13 assists totaling 22 points. His efforts aided HV71 in avoiding relegation before he departed at season’s conclusion.
Personal life
Born in Hancock, Michigan, Kero is the son of Dale and Joan Kero. He has five sisters—including Jordanna, who played volleyball at Michigan Tech—and four brothers. Among his siblings, three brothers—Dawson, Devin, and Hunter—also play hockey. While attending Michigan Tech, Kero maintained a strong academic record with a mathematics GPA of 3.68.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||||||||
| 2008–09 | Hancock High School | HSMI | 38 | 31 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2009–10 | Marquette Rangers | NAHL | 57 | 32 | 19 | 51 | 39 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2010–11 | Fargo Force | USHL | 55 | 14 | 23 | 37 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
| 2011–12 | Michigan Tech University | WCHA | 39 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 2012–13 | Michigan Tech University | WCHA | 33 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 2013–14 | Michigan Tech University | WCHA | 40 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 2014–15 | Michigan Tech University | WCHA | 41 | 20 | 26 | 46 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 2014–15 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 6 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2015–16 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 60 | 20 | 19 | 39 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2015–16 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 17 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 28 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 14 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 47 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 36 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| 2018–19 | Utica Comets | AHL | 67 | 24 | 33 | 57 | 37 | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2019–20 | Texas Stars | AHL | 49 | 8 | 25 | 20 | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| 2020–21 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 39 | 3 | 7 | 6 | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 23 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | Texas Stars | AHL | 28 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 2022–23 | Texas Stars | AHL | 69 | 17 | 33 | 50 | 40 | 8 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 2023–24 | Colorado Eagles | AHL | 59 | 12 | 21 | 33 | 24 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2024–25 | HV71 | SHL | 52 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 14 | — | ||||||||||||
| NHL totals | 134 | 11 | 24 | 35 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| NAHL Rookie of the Year | 2009–10 |
| WCHA Leading Scorer (46 points) | 2014–15 |
| WCHA Exceptional Student-Athlete of the Year | 2014–15 |
| All-WCHA First Team Selection | 2014–15 |
| WCHA Player of the Year | 2014–15 |
| NCAA (West) First Team All-American | 2014–15 |
| Hobey Baker Award Finalist | 2014–15 |