Chris Chelios had probably never even dreamt of seeing his Blackhawks No. 7 jersey rise into the United Center’s rafters. He even said so himself as he refused to say it was a dream come true since he never dreamt of such a scene. He simply wanted to play in the NHL after he was told he had a possibility of making it there. Since then, everything has been crazy.
A Great Honor For Chris Chelios
On Feb 25th, the Chicago Blackhawks retired the jersey worn by Chris Chelios as part of a ceremony held before the game. It was meant to be a highlight of the unique hard-charging way of life that the defenseman led, in and out of the sport. Chelios attended the ceremony in the midst of former teammates, friends, and family, and was dressed in black from head to toe. After his introduction, he lovingly blew kisses at the roaring crowd.
The crowd returned the former player’s appreciation by saluting with “Cheli! Cheli!” chants dedicated to the native of Chicago. From the benches, the present players of the Detroit Red Wings and the Blackhawks watched the ceremony. Chris Chelios explained that he did not expect to play hockey professionally as a child in Chicago. At the time, there was not much popularity surrounding it. However, he loved it, so he played it.
62-year-old Chelios was a part of the team in his hometown from 1990 till March 1999. In the end, he was traded to Detroit. During his stint with the Blackhawks, he scored 92 goals alongside 395 assists across 664 games in the regular seasons. Even now, he is the player with the most number of penalty minutes (at 1495) amongst any Blackhawks player in history.