 After being signed by the Columbus Blue Jackets and sent down to their affiliate the Syracuse Crunch, Kelly chose to return to Europe by signing a one-year contract with HDD Olimpija Ljubljana in Erste Bank Eishockey Liga.However, after posting 3 points in only his second game in the 2009–10 season, Kelly suffered a season-ending injury and decided to terminate his contract and retire from professional hockey in order to return to Canada.While showing promise at the beginning of his pro career, Kelly is often regarded as a draft bust during his NHL career.