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| 1981 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Chris Chelios
Selected in
second round
No. 40 overall by
Montreal Canadiens
Born January 25, 1962
 | Position:
Defense
Height: 6-1 Weight: 185
Shoots: Right
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Moose Jaw (SJHL)
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois (USA)
Hometown:
Chicago, Illinois |
 |
 |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1976-77 |
Mt. Carmel | Illinois H.S. |
-- | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | | 1979-80 |
Moose Jaw | SJHL |
53 | 12 |
31 | 43 |
118 | | 1980-81 |
Moose Jaw | SJHL |
54 | 23 |
64 | 87 |
175 |
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PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
SJHL Best Defenseman: 1980-81 (Moose Jaw)
SJHL All-Star First Team: 1979-80, 1980-81 (Moose Jaw)
Miscellaneous: Not selected in 1980 NHL Entry Draft despite being
eligible. ... Grew up in Chicago, where his immigrant father,
Constantine "Gus" Chelios owned a chain of Greek restaurants. ...
Moved to Poway, Calif., with his family in 1977 when his father left his
struggling business in Chicago to open a restaurant in the San Diego area. ... Was a Chicago Black
Hawks fan during his childhood, but was more focused on football, idolizing
Bears linebacker Dick Butkus. ... Played the clarinet in his junior high
school band. He eventually quit playing the clarinet so he could focus on
hockey. ... Played at Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago before moving to
California, but was limited to playing in recreational leagues after arriving
in San Diego.
USIU to Canada: Because Chelios had not played high
school hockey as a junior or senior in California, he was not recruited by U.S. colleges. His
only
scholarship offer came from local U.S. International University in San Diego, Calif. USIU
was preparing for its second year as an NCAA Division I independent team in 1979-80. Chelios arrived on
campus for the 1979-80 school year and soon realized
he was in the wrong environment because he was going up against bigger players
with considerably more junior experience. He was eventually cut from the
team and considered quitting
hockey and focusing on school. One day on a beach, he ran into former USIU
teammate Bob Parker who suggested he
try playing in Canada. Taking this advice, Chelios left campus and first went
to Ontario but failed to make Junior B teams in Hawkesbury and Chatham. On the
verge of quitting hockey again, he was contacted by the coach of the Tier II
Moose Jaw (Sask.) Canucks, who needed a spare defenseman. He went to Moose Jaw
for the entire 1979-80 season and returned to the team for a second season in
1980-81. The Tier II experience in Moose Jaw helped Chelios earn a scholarship
offer from Wisconsin. Because he had not played during the 1979-80 or 1980-81 seasons,
he was not subject to NCAA transfer rules and was allowed to join Wisconsin
for the 1981-82 season. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: March 8, 1984 (Hartford at Montreal)
Numbers:
24 (Montreal); 7
(Chicago); 24 (Detroit)
Stanley Cup: 1986, 2002.
Playing Status: Active |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | |
1984-2006 |
Mont., Chi, Detroit | 1,476 |
182 | 743 |
925 | 2,803 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1984-2006 |
Mont., Chi., Detroit | 228 |
30 | 107 |
137 | 399 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Norris Trophy: 1988-89 (Montreal), 1992-93, 1995-96 (Chicago)
Bud Light Plus-Minus Award (+/- Leader): 2001-02 (Det.) (plus-40)
NHL All-Star First Team: 1988-89 (Montreal), 1992-93, 1995, 1995-96
(Chicago), 2001-02 (Detroit)
Sporting News All-Star First Team:
1988-89 (Montreal), 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97 (Chicago)
NHL All-Star Second Team: 1990-91, 1996-97 (Chicago)
Sporting
News All-Star Second Team: 1990-91, 1991-92 (Chicago), 2001-02 (Detroit)
NHL All-Rookie Team: 1984-85 (Montreal)
All-Star Game: 1985, 1990 (Montreal), 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997,
1998 (Chicago), 2000, 2002 (Detroit)
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost): 1989 (Montreal), 1992 (Chicago)
NHL All-Star Game Captain: 1997 (Chicago, Western Conference)
Montreal Co-Captain: September 1989 until June 29, 1990
Chicago
Captain: September 1995 until March 23, 1999
Montreal Records:
Most assists by a rookie (55 in 1984-85), most points by a rookie defenseman
(64 in 1984-85), most assists by a rookie defenseman (55 in 1984-85), most
consecutive games by defenseman with at least one goal (4 from March 9, 1988,
until March 16, 1988, shares record)
Chicago
Records: Most career penalty minutes (1,495), most assists by a defenseman in one season (58 in 1992-93 and
1995-96), most
points by a defenseman in one playoff year (21 in 1992), most penalty minutes
in one game (51 vs. Harford on Oct. 14, 1993), most penalty minutes in one
period (37 in third period vs. Hartford on Oct. 14, 1993), most penalties in one game (8 vs.
Hartford on Oct. 14, 1993, shares record), most consecutive games by a
defenseman with at least one point (15 from Oct. 26, 1995, until Nov. 28,
1995), most goals by a defenseman in one
playoff year (6 in 1992), most assists by a defenseman in one playoff year (15
in 1992, shares record), most power-play goals in one period of one playoff
game (2 vs. St. Louis on on April 20, 1992, shares record), most assists in
one period of a playoff game (3 in third period vs. Edmonton on May 18, 1992, shares record), most overtime goals in one playoff
year (2 in 1995), most overtime goals in one playoff series (2 vs. Vancouver
in 1995)
Detroit Records: Most assists by a defenseman in one
playoff year (13 in 2002, shares record), most assists in one playoff game (4
vat Vancouver on April 27, 2002, shares record), most assists by a defenseman
in one playoff game (4 at Vancouver on April 27, 2002, shares record), most
assists in one period of one playoff game (4 in second period at Vancouver on
April 27, 2002, shares record)
Montreal Assists Leader: 1984-85 (55), 1988-89 (58)
Montreal
Playoffs Points Leader: 1989 (19, tie)
Montreal Playoffs Assists
Leader: 1984 (9), 1985 (8, tie), 1989 (15)
Montreal Playoffs
Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1988 (29)
Chicago Points
Leader: 1995-96 (72)
Chicago Assists
Leader: 1992-93 (58), 1995 (33), 1995-96 (58)
Chicago
Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1993-94 (212)
Chicago Playoffs Points
Leader: 1991 (8, tie)
Chicago Playoffs Assists Leader: 1991 (7),
1992 (15)
Chicago Playoffs PIM
Leader: 1991 (46, tie), 1992 (37), 1993 (14)
Detroit Penalty-Minutes
Leader: 2001-02 (126)
Detroit Playoffs Penalty-Minutes Leader:
2002 (44)
Miscellaneous: Ranked by The Hockey News in 1997 as the 40th
greatest NHL player of all time. ... Joined Montreal for balance of 1983-84 season after
competing in 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. He delayed his first game with
Montreal despite signing immediately after Olympics because he was recovering
from a bruised right foot, an injury suffered when he was hit by a puck during Team USA's Feb. 9, 1984, game vs.
Czechoslovakia. He did not miss any games during the Olympics due to the
injury, but he was not 100 percent healthy by the time he arrived in Montreal.
... Paired on defense with Tom Kurvers for Montreal as a rookie in 1984-85.
... Missed part of 1984-85 season with sprained right ankle, an injury
suffered during Montreal's Jan. 15, 1985, game at Quebec. ... Missed part of 1985 playoffs with left knee
injury, suffered during Game 4 of Montreal's first-round series at Boston on April
14, 1985, and re-aggravated during Game 2 of Montreal's Adams Division finals
series vs. Quebec on April 21, 1985. ... Missed nearly half of 1985-86 season
with sprained left knee, an injury suffered during Montreal's Dec. 19, 1985,
game at Quebec. He did not return to action until Montreal's Jan. 20, 1986,
game at Quebec, at which time he re-aggravated the injury on his first shift.
He did not return to action after that until Montreal's March 19, 1986, game
at Winnipeg. ... Missed parts of 1986-87 season with back spasms, an injury
suffered during Montreal's Oct. 15, 1986, game at Buffalo, with eye injury,
suffered during Montreal's Dec. 13, 1986, game at Montreal, with groin injury
suffered during Montreal's Dec. 31, 1986, game vs. Quebec, and with sprained
shoulder, an injury suffered during Montreal's Feb. 21, 1987, game at N.Y.
Islanders. ... Missed parts of 1987-88 season with broken left pinkie finger,
an injury suffered during Montreal's Dec. 9, 1987, game at N.Y. Rangers, and
with bruised tailbone, an injury suffered during Montreal's Feb. 6, 1988, game
vs. Detroit. ... Became first right-handed shot defenseman to win Norris
Trophy when he achieved feat in 1988-89. ... Became first U.S.-born player to be named captain of the
Montreal Canadiens in September 1989. ... Missed part of 1989-90 season with pulled groin, an injury
suffered during Montreal's Jan. 6, 1990, game vs. Buffalo. ... Missed
remainder of 1989-90 regular season and start of 1990 playoffs with strained
ligaments in left knee, an injury suffered during Montreal's Feb. 14, 1990,
game vs. Vancouver. The injury required arthroscopic surgery on March 23,
1990, and Chelios did not return to action until Game 1 of Montreal's Adams
Division finals series at Boston on April 19, 1990. ... Had postseason surgery
for an abdominal injury on April 30, 1990. ... Missed part of 1990-91 season
with laceration of left temple, an injury suffered when he was cut by Bob
Sweeney's skate during a pileup behind the net on the opening shift of
Chicago's Feb. 9, 1991, game at Boston. The gash required 40 stitches to
close. ... Suspended one game by NHL (automatic suspension) during 1990-91
season for receiving his third game misconduct of the season during Chicago's
March 14, 1991, game at Los Angeles. ... Named NHL Player of Week for week
ending Feb. 6, 1995. ... Was runner-up to Paul Coffey for 1995 Norris Trophy. ...
Became first defenseman in Chicago history to lead team in scoring when he
achieved that feat in 1995-96. ... Missed parts of 1996-97 season with
strained left knee, an injury suffered when he was boarded by Keith Jones during Chicago's March 1, 1997, game at
Colorado, and with sore lower back, an injury suffered when he was checked by
Glen Featherstone in Chicago's April 6,
1997, game vs. Calgary. The Blackhawks argued that both the Jones and
Featherstone hits were dirty plays in which Chelios was targeted. Jones later
told reporters that Chelios challenged him to postgame fight in the runway to
the dressing room after the March 1, 1997, game. Chelios called Jones a coward
for going to the press with the story instead of actually fighting him. ...
Led all NHL players in fan voting for the 1997 NHL All-Star Game. ... Missed NHL playoffs for first and only time in his career with Chicago in
1997-98. ... Played in 1,000th NHL game for Chicago on April 16, 1998, vs.
New Jersey. ... Missed parts of 1998-99 season with strained groin, an injury
suffered during Chicago's Nov. 12, 1998, game vs. Toronto, and re-aggravated
during Detroit's April 7, 1999, game vs. Vancouver. ... Missed most of 2000-01 season with
left knee injury. He originally suffered the injury when he twisted the knee
during Detroit's Oct. 17, 2000, game vs. St. Louis. He had arthroscopic
surgery to repair damaged cartilage on Oct. 18, 2000, and returned for
Detroit's Oct. 31, 2000, game at Washington. He re-aggravated the injury during Detroit's
Nov. 15, 2000, game vs. San Jose and had extensive surgery to reconstruct the
ACL on Nov. 20, 2000. He did not return to action until Detroit's Feb. 23,
2001, game vs. St. Louis. ... Missed remainder of 2000-01 regular season and
start of 2001 playoffs with broken thumb, suffered during Detroit's
March 17, 2001, game at Colorado. ... Was runner-up to teammate Nicklas
Lidstrom for 2001-02 Norris Trophy. ... Led all NHL defensemen with 13 assists
in 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs. ... Missed parts of 2002-03 season with
fractured finger, suffered during Detroit's Dec. 1, 2002, game vs. Calgary,
and with unspecified lower left leg injury, originally suffered in Detroit's
Dec. 31, 2002, game at St. Louis and re-aggravated during Detroit's Jan. 22,
2003, game vs. Edmonton. ... Missed part of 2003-04 season with sprained
right knee, an injury suffered during Detroit's Dec. 8, 2003, game vs. Los
Angeles. He did not return to action until Detroit's Dec. 31, 2003, game vs.
Atlanta. ... Missed part of 2003-04 season with bruised left shoulder, an
injury suffered during Detroit's Feb. 24, 2004, game at Vancouver. He did
not return to action until Detroit's March 5, 2004, game vs. Vancouver. ...
Missed part of 2004 playoffs with upper body injury, suffered in Game 2 of
Detroit's second-round series vs. Calgary on April 25, 2004. He did not
return to action until Game 5 of the series on May 1, 2004. He re-aggravated
the injury in that game and missed remainder of playoffs. ... Signed
one-year contract with Detroit on May 31, 2006, ensuring he would return for
the 2006-07 NHL season at age 44.
Season of Suspensions: Known for
rough play throughout his NHL career, Chelios
sat out eight games during the 1993-94 season as a result of his on-ice
behavior. He earned the first suspension for abusing linesman Bernard DeGrace
at 3:19 of the third period during Chicago's Oct. 14,
1993, game vs. Hartford. DeGrace had been restraining Chelios after breaking
up Chelios' fight
with Brian Propp, when Chelios pushed DeGrace aside so that he could join
another fight involving Brian Noonan and Adam Burt. Chelios got two game
misconducts, a 10-minute misconduct, a fighting major and an instigating minor
from referee Kerry Fraser. The NHL announced an indefinite suspension on Oct.
15, 1993, and held a hearing into the matter on Oct. 18, 1993, when it set the
suspension at four games. Chelios was angered by the harsh suspension because
the NHL had treated him as a habitual offender and because referee Fraser had
not treated the incident as abuse of an official when it happened. During the
suspension, Chelios took time away from the team to visit his ailing sister in
San Diego, while cooling off and avoiding the press. Four months later,
Chelios was suspended by the NHL a second time, also for four games, and fined
$500 by for scratching Dana Murzyn's eye in a fight at the end of the second
period during Chicago's Feb. 2, 1994, game at Vancouver. Referee Bill McCreary
gave Chelios a match penalty for attempting to injure another player,
prompting an automatic NHL review. The suspension was announced by NHL vice
president Brian Burke on Feb. 4, 1994. Linesman Shane Heyer said Chelios
scratched Murzyn, even though a video review failed to resolve the issue in
either direction. Still angry over his earlier suspension, Chelios told the
press that he felt the NHL officials were targeting Chicago players for
penalties. He named Fraser, McCreary and Denis Morel as three officials who
held "grudges" against the team. In addition to four games, the second
suspension cost Chelios $34,000 in lost salary, prompting a failed appeal by
Chelios' agent, Tom Reich. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: Wisconsin (WCHA); Team USA;
Biel-Bienne (Switzerland); Motor City (UHL)
Olympics: 1984
(seventh place), 1998 (5-8 place), 2002 (silver medal), 2006 (5-8 place)
NHL-USSR Rendez-vous Series: 1987
Canada Cup: 1984
(fourth), 1987 (fifth), 1991 (second)
World Cup of Hockey: 1996
(first place), 2004 (fourth place)
World Championships: 1994 (fourth place)
World Junior Championships: 1982
(sixth place)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
NCAA Championship:
1983 (Wisconsin)
Canada Cup
All-Star First Team: 1991
World Cup of Hockey All-Star First Team:
1996
NCAA Tournament All-Star First Team: 1983 (Wisconsin)
WCHA All-Star Second Team: 1982-83 (Wisconsin)
Wisconsin Coyne Award (Most Consistent): 1982-83
Team USA Olympic Captain: 1998, 2002, 2006
Miscellaneous: Competed in 1981
U.S. National Sports Festival. ... His WHL rights were held by Brandon during
the 1981-82 season. ... Left University of Wisconsin after sophomore year to join Team USA for 1983-84 pre-Olympic tour and 1984
Olympics. ... Played three games
with Biel-Bienne (Switzerland) during 1994-95 NHL lockout before tearing knee
ligament in December 1995. ... Named to Team USA for 2003 World Championships,
but declined invitation. ... Played in UHL during 2004-05 NHL lockout. ... Active in
charitable causes during his playing days in Chicago, founding "Cheli's
Children" to raise money for disabled kids and sponsoring an annual charity
golf tournament . Also did charitable work for March of Dimes campaign in
Detroit. ... Lived in Los Angeles during the off-seasons of later playing days, working on a strict dryland
training regimen to keep himself in shape. ... Continued family tradition by
owning restaurant during playing days in Chicago. ... Opened Cheli's Chil Bar restaurant in Dearborn,
Mich., in 2003. ... Named to all-time NCAA Tournament All-Star team by an NCAA
panel in 1997. ... Named to defense position on 12-player All-Time USA Hockey Team
in 1997. ... ... Named one of 50 greatest players in WCHA history by conference
on Feb. 15, 2002. ... Considered taking up bobsled racing during the 2004-05
lockout in a bid to represent Greece at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy.
He trained with the U.S. bobsled team for a few weeks before giving it up to
play in minors. ... Became oldest American ever to compete in the Olympic
hockey tournament when he played for Team USA at Torino, Italy, in 2006. ... Has
own official website at
www.chrischelios.com.
Personal:
Nicknamed "Cheli." ... Full name is Christos K. Chelios. ...
Older brother of former minor-leaguer Steve Chelios. ... Cousin of NHL player
Nikos Tselios, whose father was one of Chelios' father's brothers. The family
name was originally Tselios, but Gus Chelios changed his family's spelling to
"Chelios." |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE: Montreal traded Chelios and 1991
second-round pick (Mike Pomichter) to Chicago in exchange for Denis Savard on
June 29, 1990. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '81 | | Total Selected: |
211 | | Forwards: |
119 | | Defense: |
67 | | Goaltenders: |
25 | | Major Junior: |
122 | | Tier II/Jr. B: |
10/4 | | College Players: |
21 | | High School: |
18 |
| Canadian: |
139 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
3 | | USA Citizens: |
37 | | U.S.-Born: |
36 |
| European: |
32 |
| Reached NHL: |
114 |
| Stanley Cup: |
17 | | Hall of Fame: |
2 |
| All-Star Game: |
14 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
7 |
| Olympians: |
30 |
| Picks Traded: |
38 |
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