News Article: Chelios leaving (to be closer to family)

[jkutswings]

Sounds like he wants to be near his mom in Chicago:

https://www.tsn.ca/chelios-leaving-red-wings-organization-1.1143010

I'm curious if this will lead to bringing in any additional people for player development.

Click to read more...

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Happy for him and wish him all the best.

I hope he keeps his restaurant open in Detroit.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

Good riddance, I never really accepted him as a Red Wing, he was too big of a piece of shit with Chicago for me to embrace him. The last years of his career he was trumpeting his chili restaurant with every interview and that was annoying as hell. And his kids at every prospects camp/tournament was a clear case of nepotism and I don't really see what he was bringing to the organization other than some Hollywood friends.

Yea, I know it's a pretty extreme take, I just loathed him with a passion when he played for Chicago.

 

[SCD]

I think Chelios wanted a higher position within the organization. There was talk of him wanting to be an assistant coach a year or two ago. He didn't get what he wanted and left.

 

[SirloinUB]

Wasn’t Holland supposed to be beefing up the front office and management team?

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Thanks Chris for all your efforts. Go wings

 

[lilidk]

I miss his cross checks, remember he got double minor for to many of them

 

[Claypool]

I think Chelios wanted a higher position within the organization. There was talk of him wanting to be an assistant coach a year or two ago. He didn't get what he wanted and left.

He never wanted to be behind the bench. Stop spreading false information.

Chris Chelios excited about new role working with Red Wings defensemen, will assist U.S. World Juniors

 

[RabidBadger]

Good riddance, I never really accepted him as a Red Wing, he was too big of a piece of **** with Chicago for me to embrace him. The last years of his career he was trumpeting his chili restaurant with every interview and that was annoying as hell. And his kids at every prospects camp/tournament was a clear case of nepotism and I don't really see what he was bringing to the organization other than some Hollywood friends.

Yea, I know it's a pretty extreme take, I just loathed him with a passion when he played for Chicago.

When I lived in Chicago it seemed like every female I knew had a sordid Chelly story.

 

[Mlotek]

Wasn't he leaving Detroit a year ago?

 

[SCD]

So, now that Chelios has taken a job with the Blackhawks, did he leave Detroit to he closer to his family or did he want to do more in the organization?

 

[Wingsfan 4 life]

So, now that Chelios has taken a job with the Blackhawks, did he leave Detroit to he closer to his family or did he want to do more in the organization?

He was born in Chicago and played a good chunk of his career there. Becoming a team ambassador shouldn't really be a huge shock. Savard, Hull, Esposito and Mikita are also ambassodors there.

 

[jkutswings]

He was born in Chicago and played a good chunk of his career there. Becoming a team ambassador shouldn't really be a huge shock. Savard, Hull, Esposito and Mikita are also ambassodors there.

Pretty much. It's a largely ceremonial position, doing a handful of public appearances in the Chicago area:

Chris Chelios named Blackhawks ambassador: 'Chicago is my hometown'

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Thanks Chelios for everything.

 

[Shaman464]

He never wanted to be behind the bench. Stop spreading false information.

Chris Chelios excited about new role working with Red Wings defensemen, will assist U.S. World Juniors

Except the article that is linked in that article as evidence that he doesn't want to be a coach literally starts with the words "DETROIT - Chris Chelios is interested in moving from the front office to behind the bench."

Chris Chelios interested in Red Wings' assistant coaching job; Daniel Cleary might be re-signed

 

[Claypool]

Except the article that is linked in that article as evidence that he doesn't want to be a coach literally starts with the words "DETROIT - Chris Chelios is interested in moving from the front office to behind the bench."

Chris Chelios interested in Red Wings' assistant coaching job; Daniel Cleary might be re-signed

Right, and in that article it says:

"Blashill will meet with Chelios this week to discuss a role on his staff, but it's not clear if it's for a full-time coaching position."

"It remains to be seen if he's ready to make a commitment to become a full-time assistant coach."

Obviously, Chelios wasn't ready or willing to take for a full-time role with the Red Wings.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

So, now that Chelios has taken a job with the Blackhawks, did he leave Detroit to he closer to his family or did he want to do more in the organization?

His father passed away early last year and his mother is in the Chicagoland area. The position he is in is more ceremonial but it allows him to travel and see his four children and friends even a little bit more would be my guess. I don't remember if his girls wound up staying in Chicago after graduating from Northwestern, though I remember one of his daughters was a Lightening reporter. I am not sure where Dean wound up either after retirement from competitive hockey. Jake will play in Grand Rapids and that was an excellent signing in my opinion, but he has an easier drive from Chicago to three locations to watch him play and Chris has been frequent at AHL games for years as I have bumped into him on more than one occasion in Milwaukee when I used to live there and attend Admirals games. I think it is just an easier place to be and be close to his mother.

My guess is we still see him from time to time in Detroit. He wasn't stapled to Detroit in his former role in any event but it kept him committed to being around at certain points, Chelios isn't a sit around idle kind of guy. I am guessing Chicago and Malibu are really going to be his primary bases moving forward. He really changed my admittedly uninformed opinion of him that was born through hatred in that Hawks sweater. I haven't met many NHL guys that were as excited to talk hockey as Chelios was, you could pull up a bar stool and he would go on about the game for long periods of time. The guy just enjoys life in general and I hope the move goes well for him.

There isn't a huge hidden agenda here from what I know. It is just time for a change. It is amazing to consider how long Chelios has been a Detroiter at this point. Two decades is certainly more than any of us were expecting going in.