Keely Brown
Ringette Athlete - Inducted 2018
Keely Brown, an outstanding ringette goalie, started playing the game while growing up in Ontario. She moved to Alberta in 2003, where she joined the Edmonton WAM! of the National Ringette League. Keely competed in 19 Canadian Ringette Championships and won nine gold and eight silver medals. From 2000 to 2012, she was the goaltender for Team Canada, becoming the longest serving goalkeeper in Ringette Canada's National Team history. Keely goaltended Canada to gold in 2002 and silver in 2000, 2004, 2007, and 2010. She was the MVP of the final game three times and ‘Top Goalie of Tournament’ in 2002 and 2007.
Keely’s skill, finesse, patience, athletic ability, and grit set the standard for those involved in ringette. She was a formidable opponent and an amazing teammate. In 2012, Keely embraced the role of Assistant Coach with Team Canada U19, moving onto Team Canada in 2013.
On and off the ice, Keely helped to improve ringette for all who played the game. She founded and co-owns ‘5-Count Ringette Goalie Instruction’ which employs more than 30 ringette goalie instructors across Canada. She also wrote two ringette goalie instruction books.
Keely designed and improved ringette goaltender’s glove named the “Keely”. This key piece of a ringette goaltenders’ equipment was designed in collaboration with NAMI and was the first innovation for ringette goalies since the sport was introduced in 1963. The new design was suited more for ringette than previous styles, as the goalie needs to make the save, then pick up and toss the ring with an eye for accuracy and distance.
Keely's talents were not limited to ringette as she also competed in ice hockey and in-line hockey. She played eight years with the Edmonton Chimos in the Western Women's Hockey League, was the WWHL Championship MVP in 2005 and also named Top Goalie in 2005 and 2008/09. Keely was in net for Team Canada’s Inline Hockey Team from 2002 to 2011 and goaltended the team to nine World Championship medals; three gold, five silver, and one bronze. In 2012, Keely started as the Assistant Coach for the Canadian Inline Hockey Team, a role which she held for several years. She has since added two more gold medals and two silver medals to her World Championship resume.
In her day-to-day life, Keely’s passion for sport remained. She became the first in-house lawyer for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers in 2006; now named the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) that included the Edmonton Oilers, AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, and operation of Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Keely was inducted into the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame as an Athlete in 2014.
