Born and raised in Victoria, Kelly grew up playing his minor hockey for the Victoria Co-Op AAA Association. Kelly played five years of junior hockey, including BCHL teams, Powell River and Cowichan Valley. After earning scholarships, Kelly had the unique opportunity of playing both CIS and NCAA Div.1 college hockey. This then led him to four years of professional hockey in North America and Europe.

Kelly started his coaching career in the BCHL, spending three years as an Assistant with the Cowichan Capitals. Shields was head coach of the JDF Bantam A program where he led the program to an Island and Provincial Championship. He also served as a JDFMHA Coach Mentor and Skill Development Coach. Kelly has been actively involved as a coach and evaluator in the BC Hockey U-16 High Performance program at both the Regional and Provincial levels.

Seeing a need for High Performance Hockey on the Island, Kelly started PCHA in 2012. The Academy had a highly successful inaugural season in 2013/14, which opened doors for the expansion to two teams and helped secure acceptance into the Canadian Sports School Hockey League (CSSHL). Kelly is the Director of Hockey and the Head Coach of the Midget Prep. He also oversees hockey operations.