Christos Kostas Chelios (born January 25, 1962) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
former professional
ice hockey defenseman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference t ...
. He was one of the longest tenured players in the National Hockey League, and is a three-time
Stanley Cup champion—one with the
Montreal Canadiens and two with the
Detroit Red Wings.
Chelios played for the
Montreal Canadiens,
Chicago Blackhawks,
Detroit Red Wings and the
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...
. When he was called up from the
AHL's
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League and are the top minor-league affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the ...
to play for the Thrashers during the
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation (92nd season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). It ran from October 1, 2009—including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010 Stanley C ...
, Chelios was the oldest active player in the NHL and the second oldest of all time. He had played the
most games of any active player in the NHL, was the last player from the
1981 NHL Entry Draft
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
still active (or any
draft
Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...
from
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
**Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
** Spain and Portugal ent ...
and earlier), and had the most career
penalty minutes
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for an infringement of the rules. Most penalties are enforced by sending the offending player to a penalty box for a set number of minutes. During the penalty the player may not participate in play. Penaltie ...
of any active player. He is the former record-holder for most games played in the NHL by a defenseman, is
eighth overall with 1,651 games played, holds the record for most career
playoff games played with 266 and is tied with
Gordie Howe for most NHL seasons played with 26. On May 1, 2009, he appeared in the playoffs for an NHL record 24th time, having missed the playoffs only once (
1997–98). Chelios is also the record-holder for most career postseason losses, with 117 (also the most in any professional sport in North America). However, he only lost one Game 7 in his career, a 3–2 OT loss in the 1985
Adams Division
The NHL's Adams Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honour of Charles Francis Adams, the founder of the Boston Bruins. It is the forerunner of the ...
Finals against the
Nordiques. In 2017, Chelios was named one of the '
100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.
Chelios is of
Greek heritage. His cousin,
Nikos Tselios
Nikos Tselios ( gr, Νίκος Τσέλιος; born January 20, 1979) is a Greek-American former professional ice hockey defenseman. Tselios became the first draft pick in the history of the Carolina Hurricanes when he was selected 22nd overall i ...
, also played professional hockey and is a former first round draft pick of the
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
. Chelios was inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame on November 8, 2013.
Playing career
Early years
Chelios was born in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
on January 25, 1962, and raised by his parents, Gus and Susan Chelios. They lived in
Evergreen Park, Illinois. He attended
Mount Carmel High School in Chicago until his family moved to
Poway, California, where he attended
Mira Mesa High School
Mira Mesa Senior High School (MMHS) is a public high school in the San Diego Unified School District. The school is recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School and a California Distinguished School. The school has an overall rating of 9.6/10 accor ...
.
Unable to play high school hockey in
Southern California, Chelios was not recruited by any U.S. colleges. His only scholarship offer came from San Diego-based
United States International University, the only
NCAA Division I hockey team west of the Rockies. However, when Chelios arrived on campus as a freshman in 1979, he soon realized he was in the wrong environment, facing bigger players with considerably more junior hockey experience. He was eventually cut from the team and considered quitting hockey. Instead, Chelios tried his luck in Canada, where he was twice cut by Junior B teams and hit a low point when he had to borrow money from strangers to get home to California one year. He said, "I wasn't any bigger or any better than the other guys, so they weren't going to take a kid from the States when they could have a local guy."
Chelios returned home and grew three inches while adding 40 pounds of muscle. He was then drafted by the
Montreal Canadiens in the 1981
NHL Entry Draft. Prior to that, he played for the
Moose Jaw Canucks
The Moose Jaw Canucks were a junior ice hockey team based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. They were one of the founding members of the ''Western Canada Junior Hockey League'' (known today as the Western Hockey League) in 1966 following a rebell ...
of the
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
Open to North American-born players 20 years of ...
, where he tallied 87 points and 175 penalty minutes in just 54 games in his final season. Chelios then enjoyed two strong years playing for the
Wisconsin Badgers at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
after being drafted. As one of the top collegiate players in the country, he was selected for the
United States team at the 1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. In
1983
The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...
, he was part of the Badgers'
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship team and was named to the all-tournament team and the second
WCHA
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's ice hockey-only conference. From 1951 to 1999, it operated ...
all-star team.
Chelios was a member of the U.S. team for the
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games ( Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...
in
Sarajevo,
Yugoslavia. After that, he made his debut for the Canadiens, playing 12 games in the regular season and 15 in the playoffs. That summer he joined the U.S. team at the
1984 Canada Cup
The 1984 Labatt Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played during the first three weeks of September 1984. The best-of-three final took place between Canada and Sweden, with Canada winning a two game sweep. Canadia ...
.
Montreal Canadiens (1984–1990)
In 1984, Chelios made the
Montreal Canadiens for good, distinguishing himself with his play. During his early days, he was known for his offensive abilities, and his teammates even called him "Soft Hands Chelios." He earned a trip to the
National Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game (french: Match des Étoiles de la Ligue Nationale de Hockey, links=no) is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many o ...
and was named to the 1985
NHL All-Rookie Team
The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year. The team was first named a ...
. He scored 64 points in 74 games, a high total for a defenseman even in the high-scoring 1980s, and finished second to
Mario Lemieux for the
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving a ...
. In the playoffs that year, he had 10 points in 9 games, with a +17
plus/minus. Although he only played 41 games in the
1985–86 season, he won his first
Stanley Cup, playing in front of
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy (french: Trophée Conn Smythe) is awarded annually to the most valuable player (MVP) of his team during the National Hockey League's (NHL) Stanley Cup playoffs. It is named after Conn Smythe, the longtime owner, general ma ...
-winning goaltender
Patrick Roy
Patrick Jacques Roy (; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender and executive, who serves as the head coach for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In 2017, Roy was named o ...
.
Following two more good seasons in Montreal, Chelios really broke out in the
1988–89 campaign. He scored 73 points in 80 games at +35, was named to the
All-Star first-team, and won his first
James Norris Memorial Trophy
The James Norris Memorial Trophy, or simply the Norris Trophy, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top " defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". It is named after J ...
. During that year's
Wales Conference (now Eastern Conference) Finals series against the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wel ...
(which the Canadiens won in six games), Chelios became reviled by Flyer fans for a dirty hit on
Brian Propp that left the Philadelphia winger with a serious
concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
and forced him to miss the next game. The Flyers did not retaliate against Chelios until their fate was sealed late in Game 6; Flyers goaltender
Ron Hextall
Ronald Jeffrey Hextall (born May 3, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and executive. He is the current general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hextall played 13 seasons for ...
memorably skated out of his net to attack Chelios, earning him a 12-game suspension.
After playing only 53 games the following season (in which he served as Canadiens' co-captain, with
Guy Carbonneau
Joseph Harry Guy Carbonneau (born March 18, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach and executive in the National Hockey League. He was also the president of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Chicoutimi Saguenéens ...
, making Chelios the first non-Canadian player to captain the Canadiens), Chelios was traded to the
Chicago Blackhawks on June 29, 1990, with a
2nd-round draft pick for
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard (born February 4, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2017 Savard was named one of ...
. The trade occurred one day after Chelios was
accused of fighting with two
police officer
A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...
s as they tried to
arrest
An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be quest ...
him for
urinating
Urination, also known as micturition, is the release of urine from the urinary bladder through the urethra to the outside of the body. It is the urinary system's form of excretion. It is also known medically as micturition, voiding, uresis, ...
in public outside a
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar ( ...
in downtown
Madison, Wisconsin, according to a
criminal complaint
In legal terminology, a complaint is any formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of action) that the filing party or parties (the plaintiff(s)) believes are sufficient to support a claim against the party ...
.
Chicago Blackhawks (1990–1999)
In his first season with Chicago, Chelios continued to score at his usual rate, tallying 64 points, and earned a spot on the Second NHL All-Star team. He helped lead the Blackhawks to the
Stanley Cup Final in 1992, where they were swept by the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have play ...
. He was in top form for the 1992–93 season, scoring 73 points and winning his second
James Norris Memorial Trophy
The James Norris Memorial Trophy, or simply the Norris Trophy, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top " defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". It is named after J ...
. His Norris Trophy-winning play, which some sports reporters referred to as "Sweet", earned him the nickname "''Honey Nut''". The nickname derives from his name being spelled and pronounced similarly to the famous breakfast cereal,
Honey Nut Cheerios
Honey Nut Cheerios is a variation of Cheerios breakfast cereal, introduced in 1979 by Yandel Gonzalez, who was in the General Mills cereal company.
Honey Nut Cheerios is sweeter than the original, with a honey and almond flavor. While Honey Nut ...
.
During the
1994–95 NHL lockout he played for
EHC Biel
EHC Biel-Bienne is a professional ice hockey club based in the bilingual city of Biel/Bienne, Switzerland and plays in the National League (NL). Since the city of Biel is completely bilingual, alongside the German name EHC Biel (Abbr: EHCB) the te ...
in the Swiss
National League A.
For the
1995–96 season, Chelios was named
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of the Blackhawks, a role he served in until 1999. He enjoyed another fine season, scoring 72 points and winning his third James Norris Memorial Trophy. In the summer of 1996, he helped lead the
United States to its biggest international hockey win since the
1980 Winter Olympics, as the Americans defeated Canada in the
1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey ( WCH), or ''1996 World Cup of Hockey'', replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey.
Inaugural ''World Cup of Hockey''
The first edition of the Cup featured eight teams d ...
. Chelios was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Detroit Red Wings (1999–2009)
At 37, Chelios could still help teams with his veteran leadership and his largely remaining talent. On March 23, 1999, he was traded to the
Detroit Red Wings for
Anders Eriksson and two first-round draft picks.
The move to Detroit, where he had fewer responsibilities and more skilled teammates, helped keep Chelios playing at close to his peak level. In 2002, his +40
plus/minus led the league, and he was again named to the first All-Star team. He also led the United States hockey team to a silver medal in the
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soó ...
, and was named to the Tournament's All-Star team. His season culminated in the Red Wings' victory over the
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
in the Stanley Cup Finals, giving Chelios his second Stanley Cup.
In 2004, because of the cancellation of the NHL season, Chelios, along with fellow Red Wing teammates
Derian Hatcher
Derian John Hatcher (born June 4, 1972) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers. ...
and
Kris Draper, decided to play hockey for the
Motor City Mechanics
The Motor City Mechanics were a minor professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League. The Mechanics played two seasons from 2004 to 2006 at Great Lakes Sports City Superior Arena in Fraser, Michigan.
History
The team got a major boost ...
, a
UHL UHL or Uhl may refer to:
*The United Hockey League
*The Ukrainian Hockey League
*The Uhl River in the Himalayas
* Uhl Pottery, American manufacturer of pottery
* Uhl's Bay, Saskatchewan, Canada, a hamlet
* Uhl, Kansas, United States, a settle ...
team based out of
Fraser, Michigan
Fraser is a city in Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 14,480 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Metro Detroit region.
History
The Village of Fraser was incorporated by an act of the state legislature in ...
. He was heavily criticized for this decision as the UHL has a maximum salary in place, but at the same time he was strongly against a salary cap in the NHL. In October 2004 he trained with the U.S. bobsled federation in a bid to compete for the
Greek bobsled team at the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
. While Chelios didn't compete in the bobsled, he did captain the USA hockey team at the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
in
Turin,
Italy.
On August 4, 2005, the 43-year-old re-signed with the
Red Wings for a one-year contract. On May 24, 2006, Chelios re-signed a one-year contract with the
Detroit Red Wings. On July 3, 2006, Chelios became the active leader for most games played upon the retirement of teammate
Steve Yzerman. On April 21, 2007, he became the oldest defenseman to score a short-handed goal in the NHL in a playoff game against the Calgary Flames.
Chelios was the
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of the US Olympic Hockey Team that played at the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
in
Torino, Italy. By participating in
ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held at the Torino Palasport Olimpico and the Torino Esposizioni in Turin, Italy. The men's competition, held from 15 to 26 February, was won by Sweden, and the women's competition, held from 11 to 20 ...
, Chelios set a new standard, by becoming the first player to take part in an Olympic ice hockey tournament, twenty-two years after he played in his first. The old record was set by Swiss hockey player
Bibi Torriani
Richard "Bibi" "Riccardo" Torriani (1 October 1911 – 3 September 1988) was a Swiss ice hockey player and coach, and luge athlete.
He played for HC Davos from 1929 to 1950, and served as captain of the Switzerland men's national ice hockey te ...
who had played twenty years after his debut (1928 and 1948).
Chelios re-signed with the
Detroit Red Wings for the 2007–08 season. On January 8, 2008, Chelios became the second oldest player in the history of the NHL, at 45 years, 348 days, passing
Moe Roberts
Morris "Maurice, Moe" Roberts (December 13, 1905 – February 7, 1975) was an American ice hockey goaltender with the Boston Bruins, New York Americans, and Chicago Black Hawks for periods between 1925 and 1951, spending the rest of his career in ...
. Only
Gordie Howe, who played until age 52, was older. On April 12, 2008, Chelios played in his 248th playoff game, breaking the NHL record set by
Hall of Fame goaltender
Patrick Roy
Patrick Jacques Roy (; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender and executive, who serves as the head coach for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In 2017, Roy was named o ...
. Later that season, Chelios also became the oldest active player to win the Stanley Cup.
Chelios signed another one-year contract with the Red Wings for the 2008–09 season. On December 5, 2008, Chelios played in his first of two games for the
Grand Rapids Griffins
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and play home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League ...
, the
American Hockey League (AHL) farm club for the Red Wings, as part of a conditioning stint. At 46 years of age, he became the oldest player in the 73-year history of the AHL. At the conclusion of the 2008–09 season, Chelios was a finalist for the
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. It is named after Bill Masterton, the only player in NHL ...
.
Chicago Wolves and Atlanta Thrashers
After the Red Wings announced that they would not be re-signing Chelios, he signed a 25-game pro tryout contract with the
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League and are the top minor-league affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the ...
. After a second 25-game pro tryout contract with the Wolves, Chelios signed a
two-way contract
A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless of ...
with the
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...
. Chelios remained with the Wolves until he was recalled to the Thrashers, hoping that he could provide a spark for the team's playoff hopes.
He played in seven games for the Thrashers, but failed to record any points.
On April 7, 2010, Chelios was sent back to the Wolves.
Retirement, transition to Wings front office, and broadcasting
On August 31, 2010, Chelios officially retired. He was 48 years of age. The same day, Red Wings
general manager Ken Holland
Kenneth Mark Holland (born November 10, 1955) is a Canadian-American ice hockey executive and former goaltender. Holland is currently the president of hockey operations and general manager of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League. H ...
announced that Chelios would be hired to work in the Red Wings' front office. He was named Adviser to Hockey Operations, with a role of working with Red Wings' defense prospects in
Grand Rapids.
In 2013, it was announced that Chelios would become an NHL analyst on
FS1, which also included covering the hockey tournament in the
2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympi ...
.
In 2016, Chelios, along with former Red Wings teammate
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull (born August 9, 1964) is a Canadian– American former ice hockey player and general manager, and currently an executive vice president of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Calgary Flame ...
, was added to
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The co ...
’s roster of analysts for their coverage of the
2016 World Cup of Hockey
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey (abbreviated WCH2016) was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the third installment of the National Hockey League (NHL)-sanctioned competition, 12 years after the second World Cup of Hockey in 2004. It wa ...
, which ESPN had picked up the U.S. broadcast rights to, after
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
pulled out due to scheduling conflicts.
In July 2018, Chelios announced that he was leaving the Detroit area, and the Red Wings front office, to return to Chicago to be close to his family. At the same time, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that Chelios was being brought on board to serve as an ambassador for the franchise.
In 2021, after ESPN regained the rights to broadcast the
NHL, Chelios rejoined the network for their coverage. Chelios serves the same studio analyst role he held for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and sits alongside
Barry Melrose
Barry James Melrose (born July 15, 1956) is a Canadian–American broadcaster and former professional ice hockey player and head coach. Melrose played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) and National Hockey League (NHL). After retiring from pl ...
and
Mark Messier, joining
Steve Levy for games on ESPN,
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
, and
ESPN+.
Coaching career
On June 17, 2015,
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is the national ice hockey organization in the United States. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the governing body for organized ice hockey in the Unite ...
named Chelios an assistant coach for
Team USA
The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country ...
at the
2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 40th Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. It was hosted in Helsinki, Finland. It began on December 26, 2015, and ended with the gold medal game on January 5, 2016. This marked the sixth time ...
.
On June 23, 2015, Chelios was named to the Red Wings coaching staff, where he will continue to play a role in player development, by working on-ice with the team's defensemen during practices. His job involved evaluating in-game player performance and offering his insight and observations to Red Wings bench coaches. He would also attend all home games, and on occasion, join the club on the road.
International play
Chelios has participated in 11 international tournaments for the
United States:
*
1980 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1980 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''1980 WJHC'') was the fourth edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was held from December 27, 1979, until January 2, 1980. The tournament was held in Helsinki, Finland. The Soviet ...
*
1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
__NOTOC__
Year 198 (CXCVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sergius and Gallus (or, less frequently, year 951 ''Ab u ...
*
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games ( Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...
*
1984 Canada Cup
The 1984 Labatt Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played during the first three weeks of September 1984. The best-of-three final took place between Canada and Sweden, with Canada winning a two game sweep. Canadia ...
*
1987 Canada Cup
The 1987 Labatt Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team ...
*
1991 Canada Cup
The 1991 Labatt Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in August and September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeate ...
*
1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey ( WCH), or ''1996 World Cup of Hockey'', replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey.
Inaugural ''World Cup of Hockey''
The first edition of the Cup featured eight teams d ...
(alternate captain)
*
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in the ...
(captain)
*
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soó ...
(captain)
*
2004 World Cup of Hockey
The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League (NHL)-sanctioned competition, eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 ...
(captain)
*
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
(captain)
In 2020, Chelios was named into the
IIHF All-Time USA Team.
Personal life
Chelios grew up in
Chicago, Illinois, where his father, Constantine "Gus" Chelios, owned a chain of
Greek restaurant
A Greek restaurant is a restaurant that specializes in Greek cuisine. In the United States they tend to be a different affair, varying in types of service, cuisine, menu offerings, table settings, and seating arrangements. Their menu may also fe ...
s. The family name was originally "Tselios", but Gus chose to change the family's spelling. The family moved to
Poway, California, in 1977, when his father left his struggling business in Chicago to open a restaurant in the
San Diego area. He was a
Chicago Blackhawks fan during his childhood but was more focused on football, idolizing
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
linebacker
Dick Butkus. Chelios attended
Mount Carmel High School (Chicago)
Mount Carmel High School is an all-boys, Catholic high school in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the school has been operated by the Carmelite order of priests and brothers since 1900. S ...
before his family moved west, and then finished prep studies at
Mira Mesa Senior High School
Mira Mesa Senior High School (MMHS) is a public high school in the San Diego Unified School District. The school is recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School and a California Distinguished School. The school has an overall rating of 9.6/10 accor ...
in San Diego.
Chelios and his wife Tracee were married in 1987. They met while students at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
. They have four children: Dean (born 1989),
Jake (born 1991),
Caley (born 1993), and Tara (born 1996). Dean Chelios, a forward, scored a pair of power play goals to help his
Cranbrook-Kingswood high school team win the 2006 Division III Michigan state high school hockey championship. Dean played for the
Chicago Steel
The Chicago Steel are members of the United States Hockey League, joining the league in 2000. The Steel have played their home games at Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, Illinois, since 2015; previously, the team played at Edge Ice Arena in Bense ...
of the
USHL
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...
in
Bensenville, Illinois, and last played in 2016 for the
Wichita Thunder
The Wichita Thunder are a minor league hockey team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team played in the Central Hockey League from 1992 until 2014, and then in the ECHL since the 2014–15 season. From 1992 until December 2009, the Thunder played i ...
of the
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
The ...
. In May 2009, Jake was drafted 49th overall by the
Chicago Steel
The Chicago Steel are members of the United States Hockey League, joining the league in 2000. The Steel have played their home games at Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, Illinois, since 2015; previously, the team played at Edge Ice Arena in Bense ...
, and joined his brother at Michigan State.
Jake is a defenseman, like his father, and currently plays with the
Grand Rapids Griffins
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and play home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League ...
in the
Detroit Red Wings organization.
Caley graduated from
Northwestern University and is currently a reporter for the
Chicago Blackhawks.
Chelios was very active in charitable causes during his playing time in Chicago, founding ''Cheli's Children''."
Chris is the older brother of former minor-leaguer Steve Chelios, and cousin of former NHL player
Nikos Tselios
Nikos Tselios ( gr, Νίκος Τσέλιος; born January 20, 1979) is a Greek-American former professional ice hockey defenseman. Tselios became the first draft pick in the history of the Carolina Hurricanes when he was selected 22nd overall i ...
.
Through his career, Chelios has befriended many non-hockey athletes and entertainers. In 2004, he and surfer
Laird Hamilton trained with the U.S. bobsled team and hoped to form the first
Greek bobsled team at the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
. Chelios and his family can be found
Stand up paddle surfing
Standup paddleboarding (SUP) is a water sport born from surfing with modern roots in Hawaii. Stand up paddleboarders stand on boards that are floating on the water, and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water. The sport was doc ...
with Hamilton. Chris credits the activity with helping him maintain his long career.
On ''
Scrubs'', Dr. Perry Cox, played by Chelios' friend
John C. McGinley
John Christopher McGinley (born August 3, 1959) is an American actor. His best known roles include Perry Cox in '' Scrubs'', Bob Slydell in ''Office Space'', Captain Hendrix in '' The Rock'', Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's ''Platoon,'' ...
, often wears a Red Wings jersey with Chelios' name and number. During the fourth season of the show, which was concurrent with the 2004–05 lockout, Cox was seen on at least one occasion wearing a No. 24 "Motor City Mechanics" jersey. Chelios is also close friends with actors
John Cusack and
D. B. Sweeney
Daniel Bernard Sweeney (born November 14, 1961) is an American actor.
Early life
Sweeney was born in Shoreham, New York, on November 14, 1961. He attended both Tulane and New York University.
Career
In 1990, Sweeney starred as Treplev in Jeff Co ...
,
Pearl Jam frontman
Eddie Vedder,
Smashing Pumpkins frontman
Billy Corgan
William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, guitarist, and only permanent member of the rock band the ...
, and musician
Kid Rock
Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock (also known as Bobby Shazam), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. His style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and metal. A self-taught musician ...
. Chelios was sitting courtside with Kid Rock during the
Pacers-Pistons brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills on November 19, 2004. Chelios and Sweeney are quite close, with the two having appeared together in ''
The Cutting Edge
''The Cutting Edge'' is a 1992 American sports-romantic comedy film directed by Paul Michael Glaser and written by Tony Gilroy. The plot is about a wealthy, spoiled figure skater (played by Moira Kelly) who is paired with an injury-sidelined ice ...
'' (1992) and ''
Two Tickets to Paradise'' (2007), in addition to Chelios being the godfather to Sweeney's son, Cade.
Chelios was a regular at Michigan State University hockey games, cheering on his sons Jake and Dean.
DUI arrest
On December 28, 2009, in
Westmont, Illinois
Westmont is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. Westmont is a community of 5.03 square miles in area with a 2010 population of 24,685. It is located approximately west of the Chicago Loop in the southeastern portion of DuPage Co ...
, Chelios was arrested for driving under the influence.
He was the only occupant of the vehicle that was stopped at 4 a.m.
The vehicle was towed and Chelios was taken to the Westmont station, where he was charged, processed, and posted bond. In March 2010, a judge reviewed the video tape of the arrest. The case was dismissed for lack of probable cause to stop, and evidence the tape provided that Chelios was not impaired. He was however fined for improper lane usage and speeding.
Malibu Mob
Chelios maintains a home in
Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malibu ...
, and is well known as a member of the group of celebrity home owners and friends called the Malibu Mob.
Other members include tennis great
John McEnroe, big-wave surfer
Laird Hamilton and his beach volleyball professional wife
Gabrielle Reece
Gabrielle Allyse Reece (born January 6, 1970) is an American professional volleyball player, sports announcer, fashion model and actress.
Early life
Reece was born in La Jolla, California, and raised in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, an ...
, musicians
Tim Commerford
Tim Commerford (born February 26, 1968) is an American musician, best known as the bassist and backing vocalist for rock band Rage Against the Machine, and supergroups Audioslave and Prophets of Rage. Since 2013 and 2015, he has also been the ...
and
Kid Rock
Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock (also known as Bobby Shazam), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. His style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and metal. A self-taught musician ...
, and actors
John C. McGinley
John Christopher McGinley (born August 3, 1959) is an American actor. His best known roles include Perry Cox in '' Scrubs'', Bob Slydell in ''Office Space'', Captain Hendrix in '' The Rock'', Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's ''Platoon,'' ...
,
John Cusack,
Kelsey Grammer,
Tony Danza
Tony Danza (born Anthony Salvatore Iadanza; April 21, 1951) is an American actor. He is known for co-starring in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983) and '' Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1992), for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award a ...
,
Justin Long
Justin Jacob Long (born June 2, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. Long is known for his film roles, notably appearing in '' Jeepers Creepers'' (2001), ''Dodgeball'' (2004), '' Accepted'' (2006), ''Idiocracy'' (2 ...
, and
Ed O'Neill.
Business
Chelios has owned restaurant/bars in both the Chicago and Detroit areas, all under the name ''Cheli's Chili Bar''. The first operated on West Madison Street in
Chicago (near the
United Center) in the 1990s, but closed after his move to the Red Wings. A new Cheli's opened in
Dearborn in 2003, followed by a second location in
Detroit in 2006 and a third in
Clinton Township in 2008. All three are now closed, with the Detroit location shuttering in 2018 upon Chelios returning to live in the Windy City. He has indicated a desire to open a new restaurant in the Chicago area.
On January 2, 2007, two employees of Cheli's in Detroit were fatally stabbed: Megan Soroka, 49, a manager at the restaurant, and Mark Barnard, 52, a chef. Police arrested Justin Blackshere, 17, who confessed to the crime. He was a busboy at the restaurant and was fired in November 2006. Blackshere's pregnant girlfriend had also been fired from her job as a dishwasher. Chelios took a leave of absence from the Red Wings to help the families of his murdered employees. He said, "I'll come back when I feel ready and the families feel ready. I'm just going to try to get through this day by day with everybody." On January 9, 2007, the Red Wings announced that Chelios would be playing that night. Blackshere was found guilty of murder in the first degree on August 22, 2007, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole on September 7, 2007.
Career statistics
''Bold italics'' indicate NHL record
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honors
Records
*Games played in the regular season by a defenseman (1,651)
*Games played in the playoffs (266)
See also
*
List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
*
List of NHL players with 2,000 career penalty minutes
This is a list of ice hockey players who have accumulated at least 2,000 Penalty (ice hockey), penalties in minutes (PIMs) in the National Hockey League (NHL) through the end of the 2018–19 NHL season, 2018–19 NHL regular season.
3,000 or mo ...
References
External links
*
Chris Chelios' bio @ hockeydraftcentral.comChris Chelios: Made in America by Chris Chelios, Kevin Allen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chelios, Chris
1962 births
American expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
American men's ice hockey defensemen
American people of Greek descent
American restaurateurs
Atlanta Thrashers players
Businesspeople from Chicago
Chicago Blackhawks captains
Chicago Blackhawks players
Chicago Wolves players
Detroit Red Wings coaches
Detroit Red Wings personnel
Detroit Red Wings players
EHC Biel players
Grand Rapids Griffins players
Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
Ice hockey players from Illinois
Ice hockey players at the 1984 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey players at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey players at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics
IIHF Hall of Fame inductees
James Norris Memorial Trophy winners
Living people
Medalists at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Montreal Canadiens draft picks
Montreal Canadiens players
Moose Jaw Canucks players
National Hockey League All-Stars
NCAA men's ice hockey national champions
Olympic silver medalists for the United States in ice hockey
People from Evergreen Park, Illinois
Stanley Cup champions
United States men's national ice hockey team coaches
Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey players