BOSTON, MA – Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club has acquired center Chris Kelly in a trade with the Ottawa Senators, in exchange for Boston’s own second round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Kelly is under contract through the 2011-12 season, and he will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of his contract.

Including Tuesday’s game against the Islanders, the 30-year-old Kelly has 12-11=23 totals in 57 games for the Senators this season. In his career, he has appeared in 462 NHL games, all with Ottawa, with 75-101=176 totals. He recorded his 100th career assist on February 5 against the Islanders, and he recorded a hat trick on December 5 against the Rangers.  

His best statistical season in Ottawa was 2006-07, when the Senators reached the Stanley Cup Finals. That season, the 6’0, 190 pound native of Toronto, Ontario scored 15 goals, added 23 assists, and had a plus-minus rating of plus-28. In the playoffs, he had 3-4=7 playoff totals in 20 games.

Originally drafted by the Senators in the 3rd round (94th overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Kelly played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League for the London Knights and Sudbury Wolves. He was traded from London to Sudbury with Dan Jancevski for Dennis Wideman on January 10, 2001. In 265 career OHL games, he registered 106-148=254 totals.

The Bruins have Minnesota’s second round pick they received in their October 18, 2009 trade in which the B’s acquired Minnesota’s 2011 second rounder, Craig Weller and the draft rights to Alex Fallstrom for Chuck Kobasew.