He was an original member of the first Belfast Giants squad that played in the old Ice Hockey Superleague in the 2000–01 season.
At the end of the 2006–07 season, Kelman retired as a player to become the General Manager of the Belfast Giants.
In 7 seasons as the General Manager of the Belfast Giants, Kelman and the Giants won the Challenge Cup and British Knock Out Cup (both in the 2008/09 season), the Playoff Championship in 2010 and Elite League titles in 2011-12 & 2013-14.
In 2010, Kelman secured an exhibition game for the named "Belfast Giants Select" (featuring the best players from the Elite League), against the world-famous NHL side, the Boston Bruins.
The game took place at the Odyssey Arena on 2 October 2010, with the Bruins securing a 5-1 victory.