Chris Chelios Elected To Hockey Hall Of Fame
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 9, 2013 9:35PM
(Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational)
Chris Chelios, the Chicago-born hockey player who spent nine seasons with the Blackhawks and wound up playing more NHL games than any other American-born player in history, was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame Tuesday.
A three-time Norris Trophy winner—twice with the Blackhawks—Chelios was a hard-nosed defenseman who was capable of scoring as well as he could shut down the best offensive players of his era. His era also happened to last 23 full seasons from his debut in Montreal in the 1983-84 season through his final game for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010. Chelios ended his career having played a record 1,651 games as a defenseman and scored 948 points, the 10th-most in league history for his position.
Chelios was traded to the Blackhawks in 1990 for fellow Hall of Famer Denis Savard, and his arrival coincided with the rise of Jeremy Roenick and Ed Belfour to lead the Hawks to the league’s best record in the 1990-91 season and a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1991-92, where they were swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Chelios was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1999, a move that turned out to be a blessing for his professional career. Surrounded by a deep roster of talent, Chelios was able to shoulder less responsibility in the ice while prolonging his playing career. He led the NHL with a +40 plus/minus differential in 2002, at the age of 40, and continued to play deep into his 40s. When Chelios suited up for the Atlanta Thrashers at the age of 48 in 2010, he became the second-oldest player to play an NHL game in league history behind Gordie Howe.
Chelios was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Joining him are Scott Niedermayer and Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s disciplinarian and a teammate of Chelios’ in Detroit. Geraldine Heaney, the third woman to be enshrined, and coach Fred Shero, who led the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup in 1974 and '75, were also elected.