Former Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Wisconsin Badgers great Chris Chelios will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame tonight in Chicago, as he becomes the sixth Badgers to enter the hall.
Chelios will be inducted along with Mike “Doc” Emrick, Gary Suter, Ed Snider and Keith Tkachuk at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel. The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, is that kind of like the Latin Grammys or the Canadian Football Hall of Fame?
With a pro career spanning 26 years (yes, he really was around that long), Chris Chelios is the all-time leader in games played by a defenseman in National Hockey League history (1,651).
The second-round draft pick (40th overall) in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft of the Montreal Canadiens went on to win three Stanley Cups and three Norris Trophies, along with a silver medal with the U.S. at the 2002 Olympic Games and an NCAA championship with the Badgers in 1983.
Chelios played seven seasons (1983-90) in Montreal, nine in both Chicago (1991-99) and Detroit (1998-2009) and one season in Atlanta (2009-10), amassing a total of 948 points (185-763) to rank 10th all-time among NHL defensemen. The Chicago native played in 11 NHL All-Star Games, representing three different teams.
Additionally, Chelios was a staple in international hockey for more than three decades. He is one of only two male players to represent the United States at four Olympic Winter Games (1984, 1998, 2002, 2006) and captained his final three Olympic squads. He also helped the U.S. defeat Canada to win the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, and represented his country a total of 10 times on the international stage.
By the way “Cheli” once again proves correct Jerry Seinfeld’s sports fans are just “rooting for clothes” bit. You know all about the Hawks-Wings rivalry; look how your opinion changes of Chelios when he changes clothes.
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