Sports
Chris Chelios
born 1962 · ice hockey defenseman
Hall of Fame defenseman who joined the Red Wings in 1999, won Stanley Cups in 2002 and 2008 and played in Detroit into his late forties.
- Born
Chicago, Illinois
age 64- Birth name
- Christos Konstantinos Chelios
- Also known as
- Cheli
- Detroit years
- 1999–2018
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Chelios was a Chicago native and longtime Blackhawks captain, and his trade to Detroit, Chicago's fierce rival, at the March 1999 deadline stunned both cities. In Detroit he reinvented himself as a durable shutdown defenseman and famously extended his career through intense training. He helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 2002 and, at 46, again in 2008, when he was the oldest player in the league. On April 12, 2008, he played his 248th playoff game, breaking Patrick Roy's NHL record. During the 2004–2005 lockout he stayed sharp by playing for the Motor City Mechanics, a minor-league team in suburban Fraser. After leaving the Red Wings as a player in 2009 he returned to the organization in an advisory role. He became part of Detroit's social scene, including a downtown chili bar that carried his name, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.
Highlights
- Played for the Red Wings 1999–2009
- Stanley Cup champion with Detroit in 2002 and 2008
- Broke the NHL record for playoff games in 2008
- Hockey Hall of Fame 2013; Michigan Sports Hall of Fame 2025
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1999–2009
Joe Louis Arena
Demolished · 1979–2017
His home rink as a Red Wing; closed in 2017, demolished in 2019–2020.