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On Friday night in Montreal, 30 young men will get started with their careers as hockey professionals when they are selected in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. But yesterday in Detroit, one old warrior was telling the world that he wants to hang on for just one more year.
The man I'm talking about is pending free agent defenseman Chris Chelios. At a press conference at his restaurant in Detroit, Chelios told the locals that the Red Wings have already said that they don't want him back next season. Truth be told, it was hard to tell if they even really wanted him around this year, as the veteran defenseman only played in 28 regular season games before making six appearances in postseason.
When he did get on the ice in the playoffs -- and we ought to remember that we didn't see Chelios at all in the Finals against Pittsburgh -- it was clear that Detroit head coach Mike Babcock didn't have a whole lot of faith in him, as he averaged only 7:21 of ice time per game.
Chelios, one of the greatest American defenseman to ever play the game, can’t be blamed for not wanting to give up on life in the NHL, even as the evidence begins to mount that it has passed him by. In fact, one could say that he's been around so long, that it's hard to remember that there was a time when he was among the most feared two-way defensemen in the game.
I've never been one to write that it's time for a player to retire. And if Chelios does manage to hook on with another team next season, I'll certainly crack a smile. Being over 40 myself, it's impossible not to root for an old warrior like him. Then again, it's impossible for me to foresee a situation where Chelios, who went pointless in the regular season, will be able to play the sort of minutes that you know he still thinks he can.
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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I love Babcock as Wings coach, but the guy was clearly wrong about Chelios. Cheli was often the best defensemen on the ice when he finally cracked the line-up after his broken leg. Yeah, that’s right, I said best defensemen. Anyone who watched the Wings this year knows that not one of em played DEFENSE this year. Cheli is smart and savvy and doesn’t make too many mistakes. He avoids hits and knows how to clear the puck without icing it. He will make a good D man for any team looking to get over the hump (Columbus maybe?). Truth be told, the Wings are just too deep at the position, but seems like a dumb move to let that much experience leave before they’re ready to go. Cheli would’ve played for a dollar.
by Zetterberg01 on Jun 25, 2009 9:45 PM EDT reply actions
Zetterberg01 got it right. Chelios isn’t the offensive threat he used to be, but he still is a good NHL level defenseman and a great leader. A lot of teams should be happy to get him. Especially the younger teams like Chicago, LA or Columbus would be wise to hire him for a year as an example for the kids. He works harder than anyone and is a true professional.
by Jesuli11 on Jun 26, 2009 5:03 AM EDT reply actions
Let’s be honest here, even if you like Chelios…look up his stats. He hasn’t a good season in almost ten years. This season 28 games and no points, who in their right mind would sign him?…Teams would rather develop one of their prospects than have him fill a spot in the lineup. He averages, what 3-4 minutes a game, the longer he sticks around the more fans he loses. He used to be dominant, now he just takes up space, if you want him to help out the younger players sign him as an assistant coach.
by Captain Kokanee on Jun 26, 2009 4:54 PM EDT reply actions
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