During his National Hockey League (NHL) career he played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Born in Thompson, Manitoba, Shelley moved to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia when he was 12 for his father to work at a tin mine operated by Rio Algom in East Kemptville.

He was involved in a number of competitive sports in his high school years, including hockey, swimming, and soccer, as well as a brief stint on the volleyball team.

[2] The three fights by the same two adversaries in a single NHL match would next be achieved fourteen years later when Evander Kane and Alex Petrovic did it on February 9, 2016.

[4] Two years after joining San Jose, on February 12, 2010, Shelley was traded by the Sharks to the Rangers for a conditional sixth-round draft pick.

[8] In September, it was announced that Shelley would alternate with Shane Hnidy (both of whom have non-Prime NHL broadcast gigs) to provide colour commentary on Prime Monday Night Hockey,[9] which launched with a game in Montreal on October 14, 2024.

[10] It was confirmed that Shelley would also continue with the Blue Jackets broadcasts on FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, alongside new (for 2024–25) play-by-play announcer Steve Mears.