# Aaron Keller (ice hockey)

Aaron Keller (アーロン・キャラー) (born March 1, 1975) is a Canadian-born, Japanese former professional ice hockey defenceman.

## Career

Born in Kamloops, British Columbia, Keller played junior hockey with his hometown team the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League and played with them for four seasons from 1992 to 1996. He then played his first professional season in 1996–97 with the Peoria Rivermen of the East Coast Hockey League, the Chicago Wolves of the International Hockey League and the Baltimore Bandits of the American Hockey League.
The next season, he moved to Sapporo, Japan, where he played three seasons for the (now defunct) team Sapporo Snow Brand, and the next season with the Sapporo Polaris (the team who replace the Sapporo Snow Brand, but they also folded after only one season). After the Sapporo Polaris was dissolved in 2002, he signed with the Oji Eagles and remained with the team for the remainder of his career until his retirement in 2014.
Keller is of Japanese descent through his maternal grandparents. He was also a regular member of the Japan national team, debuting for them in 2004.

## Career statistics

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1992–93 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 70 | 4 | 34 | 38 | 34 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
| 1993–94 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 58 | 6 | 38 | 44 | 8 | 19 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 6 |
| 1993–94 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 71 | 18 | 62 | 80 | 34 | 15 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 6 |
| 1995–96 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 70 | 21 | 66 | 87 | 26 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 8 |
| 1996–97 | Peoria Rivermen | ECHL | 22 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | Chicago Wolves | IHL | 23 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | Baltimore Bandits | AHL | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997–98 | Snow Brand Sapporo | JIHL | 40 | 5 | 25 | 30 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Snow Brand Sapporo | JIHL | 40 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–00 | Snow Brand Sapporo | JIHL | 30 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | Snow Brand Sapporo | JIHL | 40 | 4 | 18 | 22 | — | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 | — |
| 2001–02 | Sapporo Polaris | JIHL | 25 | 0 | 9 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | Oji Seishi Hockey | JIHL | 31 | 3 | 17 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Oji Eagles | Asia League | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Oji Eagles | JIHL | 24 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004–05 | Oji Eagles | Asia League | 38 | 6 | 23 | 29 | 39 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| 2005–06 | Oji Eagles | Asia League | 38 | 12 | 25 | 37 | 49 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 14 |
| 2006–07 | Oji Eagles | Asia League | 34 | 10 | 31 | 41 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2007–08 | Oji Eagles | Asia League | 29 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 47 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 2008–08 | Oji Eagles | Asia League | 36 | 5 | 19 | 24 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 2009–10 | Oji Eagles | Asia League | 36 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2010–11 | Oji Eagles | Asia League | 36 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011–12 | Oji Eagles | Asia League | 35 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | Oji Eagles | Asia League | 40 | 10 | 26 | 36 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 2013–14 | Oji Eagles | Asia League | 42 | 4 | 31 | 35 | 40 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| JIHL totals | JIHL totals | JIHL totals | 230 | 31 | 118 | 149 | 153 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 | — |
| Asia League totals | Asia League totals | Asia League totals | 374 | 70 | 221 | 291 | 299 | 56 | 13 | 23 | 36 | 60 |

## Awards

* WHL West Second All-Star Team – 1995
* Best Defenseman (Asian Winter Games Top Division 2011)