CHICAGO — Chris Chelios basked in glory as his No. 7 was raised to the rafters.
The former NHL great, who helped the Detroit Red Wings win two Stanley Cups, took center stage at United Center in an afternoon ceremony that culminated with the Chicago Blackhawks retiring the number with which he was synonymous during his decade with his hometown team.
‘The day I was traded to Chicago was the greatest day of my life,’ Chelios said of the deal on June 29, 1990, when he left the Montreal Canadiens for the Windy City, where he would play for a decade until a trade at the 1999 deadline landed him in Detroit.
‘I just think how unique it is,’ Chelios said after the ceremony. ‘It’s one thing to get your jersey retired and then it’s another thing to do it in your hometown.’
During his speech, Chelios gave a shoutout to former Blackhawk star Patrick Kane, who signed with the Red Wings in November, saying, ‘That jersey looks kind of funny on you, but it will grow.’
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Kane ended up scoring the game winner in overtime to give the Red Wings a 3-2 win.
Chelios advised Kane when he was making his decision this fall on whether to sign with the Wings. Chelios ended up playing a decade in Detroit, helping the Wings win Cups in 2002 and 2008.
‘I should have thanked the Ilitch family, which I forgot, but my mind was racing,’ Chelios said. ‘I think the Ilitches know how much I appreciated my time there and how great they were to me, too.’
Those at the ceremony included Dennis Rodman, who played for the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls during his career. Michael Jordan couldn’t make it.
‘MJ is here in spirit,’ Chelios said of his close friend, the Bulls icon. ‘I’m hanging in the rafters with his jersey. We spoke yesterday. He’s always been there for me. We’ll celebrate on his boat next week.’
Chelios recalled how he got to know Rodman and Jordan during his days with the Blackhawks. Both they and the Bulls play at United Center.
‘We had a relationship with all the Bulls,’ Chelios said. ‘Michael went out a lot, Dennis went out all the time. We could come back from practice and we would scrimmage with them before games. Rodman, he was a character.’
Chelios, 62, was accompanied at the ceremony by his mom, Susan; his wife, Tracee; and their four children. Chelios said Cindy Crawford was among friends at the event.
The ceremony began with a lengthy video tribute that highlighted the rough-and-tough side of Chelios, who racked up 2,891 penalty minutes in 1,651 career games. He played first for the Canadiens (1984-90), then went on to the Blackhawks (1990-99), Red Wings (1999-2009) and Atlanta Thrashers (2009-10). Tributes from the likes of Eddie Belfour and Jeremy Roenick were played over the clips, which naturally centered on Chelios’ decade with the Blackhawks.
‘There’s no question I was lucky, breaking in with Montreal the time I did it,’ Chelios said. ‘I got to Montreal and it was like getting a Harvard degree because of the great players they had and the coaches and the leaders. It developed me into the player I was. By the time I got to Chicago, I was ready to take charge.
‘My trade to Detroit, it wasn’t my first choice, but I had a sister going through cancer and it was the easiest way to get back and forth. The Detroit, with the history and great ownership — I’m just glad Kaner did this now, too, because it takes a little bit of the heat off me. I’m so happy he’s doing so well.’
Chelios summed up his career — three Stanley Cups and tenures on three Original Six teams in one sentence: ‘No question, I was incredibly lucky.’
Contact Helene St. James athstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter@helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon,Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.