Arguably the greatest hockey product from the United States, Chris Chelios has finally decided to hang 'em up after twenty-six seasons.
Twenty-six. The number will resonate for quite some time, telling the story of a player who never let his age slow him down. Although he'll still be involved in the hockey world as an Advisor to Hockey Operations with the Detroit Red Wings, it'll be an awkward feeling to not see Chelios on the ice, his first appearance coming all the way back in the '83-'84 season with the Montreal Canadiens.
His role with the Red Wings is still being sorted out, but per the Detroit Free Press, this is mostly what it will entail:
Chelios suggested to the Detroit Free Press's George Sipple that he expects to work closely with Ken Holland and Jim Nill while mentoring some of the Wings' defense-playing prospects, and MLive.com's own Ansar Khan and the Macomb Daily's Chuck Pleiness confirmed the news
Chelios will end with some rather gaudy splits, with 185 goals and 763 assists, good for 948 total tallies. Perhaps the 1,651 total games he's logged with Montreal(seven seasons), Chicago (nine seasons), Detroit (ten seasons), and Atlanta (one season) is the most telling statistic of all, a true testament to one player's determination to not let age slow him down.
He's got enough hardware to secure his legacy in the Hockey Hall of Fame even though he fell just short of the 1,000 point mark. He's won the Norris Trophy on three separate occasions, and even more importantly, has hoisted the Stanley Cup three times. Chelios didn't excatly disappear in the playoffs, either - his 31 goals and 113 assists in the post-season rank among elite scoring talent.
Chris also had a major impact on Olympic and international hockey with Team USA, taking the American club (along with others) from also-ran to worldwide juggernaut.
As Kukla correctly pointed out, Chelios is now the third retiree this season that seems like a lock for the Hall, joining Rob Blake and Scott Niedermayer, and this trio could continue to grow as the off-season wears on.
After such a lengthy career, what's the one Chris Chelios memory that's instilled in your brain? For myself, his role on the U.S. team that defeated the Canadian club in the '96 World Cup of Hockey Finals is immeasurable. Need a refresher?
And yes, Doc correctly points out that teammates from New Jersey, Bill Guerin and Scott Stevens, were among the first to tangle.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»