Amateur Prior to his collegiate hockey career, Kero played for the
Marquette Rangers in the
NAHL where he led the league in goals (with 32) and was named the league's "Rookie of the Year". He also played for the
Fargo Force in the
USHL where he posted 13 goals, 24 assists and 37 points in 55 games and earned a spot on the USHL Western Conference All-Star Team. and being named to the 2014–15 NCAA (West) First All-American Team.
Professional On April 2, 2015, the
Chicago Blackhawks of the
National Hockey League (NHL) signed Kero to a two-year
entry-level contract. He began the
2015–16 season assigned to AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. On October 27, 2015, the Blackhawks recalled him to the NHL. He made his NHL debut on October 29, 2015, in a 3–1 loss to the
Winnipeg Jets. Just 4 games later, he scored his first NHL goal on November 6, shooting past
Cory Schneider, in a 4–2 loss against the
New Jersey Devils. On March 23, 2017, the Blackhawks signed Kero to a two-year contract extension. On June 24, 2018, Kero was traded to the
Vancouver Canucks in exchange for
Michael Chaput. On July 1, 2019, having left the Canucks as a free agent, Kero was signed to a two-year, two-way contract with the
Dallas Stars on July 1, 2019. Following four seasons within the Stars organization, Kero as a free agent was signed to a one-year AHL contract for the
2023–24 season with the
Colorado Eagles, affiliate to the
Colorado Avalanche, on July 18, 2023. Upon completion of his contract with the Eagles, Kero left North America after 10 professional seasons and signed his first contract abroad in agreeing to a one-year deal with Swedish club,
HV71 of the
Swedish Hockey League (SHL), on July 5, 2024. In his lone season in
Jönköping in
2024–25, Kero featured in every game in a top nine forward role posting 9 goals and 13 assists for 22 points. Helping the club avoid relegation to the Allsvenskan in a play-out series, Kero left HV71 at the conclusion of the season. ==Personal life==