by Madisen Krapf
For veteran Kieffer Bellows, hockey is more than just a career—it’s a reflection of a lifetime filled with passion, sacrifice, self-motivation, and family influence. Bellows has become an inspiration in establishing his unique identity and staying true to himself despite any factors that attempt to challenge him.
Bellows learned from a very young age that hockey was his calling. He describes his father as the motivating force behind his career jumpstarting.
“He’s the one that put me on skates and got me started,” Bellows said. “He lets me follow my path and career. He had his path and career and he just wants me to go out there, have fun, and just enjoy playing hockey.”
Bellows’ father Brian furnished 485 goals in over 1,200 games in his 17-year career, hoisting the Stanley Cup in 1993. He has served as an influencing factor in many ways to Kieffer, including his playing personality and style.
“We’re both bigger, power-forward guys that love to shoot the puck,” Bellows said. “He was a shooter back in the day, scored a lot of goals, and I think that’s something that I’ve tried to follow through with. The shooting aspect was something that he always pushed on me.”
Bellows notes that though his father was a big reason he started playing, his mother Tracy was the driving factor in his dreams coming to fruition.
“She was the one getting up early and driving to practice early on the weekends and during the week,” Bellows said.
From junior hockey to the NHL, Bellows has garnered an impressive resume of teams and achievements throughout the past ten years. Whether it be his run in junior hockey where he boasted numerous accolades, his 95 games played in the NHL between the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers, to being among the top three point-scorers this season as an Admiral, Bellows stresses that there is still so much to come in his hockey career.
“I want to get back to the NHL,” Bellows said. “I feel like I could still play at the NHL level and stay there and be a solidified player at that level.”
In the long run, being able to display such an impressive resume thus far forced Bellows to make significant lifestyle choices. He missed out on the average adolescent experience in turn for those big sacrifices.
“Moving away from home at 15-16 years old, that’s a big [sacrifice],” Bellows said. “Moving away from your family is never easy, especially at such a young age, I also think it’s a lot of weekends: Friday nights, Saturday nights, that everyone [can] go out and enjoy.”
Bellows also notes that those sacrifices are a group effort and can also resonate with the whole team.
“It’s not just me,” Bellows said. “It’s the rest of the guys that are at this level higher, that have sacrificed those weekends of partying for playing games, training, getting good, adamant sleep.”
A big question to the average person could be how these professional athletes find a way to keep going. How they push through those late nights, long practices, and strenuous schedules. Bellows notes that a lot of his drive to continue comes naturally.
“I have a lot of self-motivation,” Bellows said. “I know what I get to do for a living is something that very few get to do, and I think it’s super special, and I don’t want to take any of it for granted.”
When asked what advice he would share with young hockey players, Bellows highlighted the importance of embracing both the challenges and the joy that come with the game.
“Enjoy the work,” Bellows said. “I try to find the joy in the work. And I think that’s going out early before practice and staying out late after practice, always working on your game, but, have fun with it. It’s supposed to be hard work, but you know, it’s no reason you can’t have fun doing it.”
Kieffer Bellows’ hockey journey radiates his passion and hard work. From learning the game with his dad to chasing his dream of getting back to the NHL, Bellows proves that dedication and sacrifice can pay off. His story is about never giving up and enjoying every moment of the process.
