Chris Chelios: 'Nothing tops' years he spent with Detroit Red Wings

Helene St. James | Detroit Free Press

Chris Chelios plans to remain a restauranteur in Detroit, keep ties with the Red Wings, but above all, be a family man.

In an interview with the Free Press, Chelios delved further into his decision to leave his position as ambassador with the Wings to return to his native Chicago, where he’ll assume a similar role with the Blackhawks. That is, when he’s not busy chauffeuring around his mom, Sue.

Chelios, 56, joined the Red Wings in 1999, hopping from one Original Six team to another, switching allegiances within the Central Division. The trade created some of the best years of his life.

Chelios also played for the Montreal Canadiens during his storied NHL career (highlights include three Stanley Cups and three Norris trophies), but he stoked the ire of most Canadians — much to his delight.

After retiring from playing in 2010 at age 48, Chelios joined the Red Wings first as an advisor to general manager Ken Holland, a job that segued into a developmental role alongside Jeff Blashill, and then a stint as ambassador. Chelios often worked closely with Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby, and has a special friendship with Steve Yzerman.

How long was the decision to leave Detroit in the making?

CC: Since a few months after my dad passed. My mom gets help from my sister, but the commute just got really old driving back and forth trying to help my sister. Over the years, I’d talked with the Ilitches about it, about returning home at some point. Then after my dad passed, that’s really when I started thinking about it seriously.

The kids also had a bearing on it — I’m an empty-nester now. My daughter graduated from Northwestern a few months ago. Two of them are going to be here in Chicago. So it’s basically all family based.

How is your mom?

CC: She’s 85 and four months ago she was doing great, then all of a sudden her knee was bothering her. She’s got sciatic nerve. I went through this with my dad — she went from doing great to needing a lot of help getting around. She’s in a lot of pain. We’ve taken her to see a few doctors, so the knee is better. My sister does a great job helping her but she has to work, so I have to help my mom get her to the doctors, set up appointments. She’s stubborn when it comes to spending money, so I have to convince her this is the only way to get back in shape.

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You were hired by the Wings the same day you retired from playing: Aug. 31, 2010. What were you experiences as your job morphed from front office to on-ice to TV?

CC: I was so lucky. The first couple years I worked under Kenny. I don’t think I was detached enough from my teammates because I found it hard to be in the room, making hard decisions, or even offering my opinion. So that’s when I went into player development with Grand Rapids because I thought it would be great helping out the young guys. Working with Blash allowed me to go to my kids’ stuff. I enjoyed that. Then when Blash got the head coaching job, and asked me to help on a part-time basis, I got really lucky. It’s the most fun I’ve had since playing, being in the room with the guys and on the ice — it was great. But again, I couldn’t commit to full-time and I didn’t think it was fair to the other coaches that I only did home games. That’s ultimately why I decided to do the ambassador role. That worked out great — did some TV in-house and met with suite holders and sponsors. It was a lot of fun, and I could go see my mom whenever I needed, my dad when he was there. It was good.

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What stands out as you look back on your career with the Red Wings?

CC: I mean it’s just hard to believe I was there 19 years. It seems like yesterday when I walked in the room. What the Ilitches did from getting my kids into school and helping me out with the restaurants, winning the Cups. I thought I was done in Chicago — I thought I was done playing at that point that last year there. Then I got a second life.

Those 10 years of my career, nothing tops it. Timing is everything and I came to Detroit at the right time with the ownership and the people accepting me. It could have been a disaster but it worked out great.

Which Wings did you become especially close with?

CC: I still keep in touch with Yzie. Yzie lives two minutes away from me so we’ve generally gotten together once every couple weeks, with his wife and my wife. So that’s been great. I actually talk to Yzie maybe more than anyone besides Drapes and Malts, because we work together.

Do you have any regrets in your career?

CC: No, no regrets. I consider myself so lucky the way things worked out. I’m always a 'glass half-full, not half-empty' guy. If I was to look over my career with the Wings, there wasn’t a thing I would change. With the Blackhawks — I didn’t win the Cup. It’s the only team I played with I didn’t win the Cup with, and now at least I have a chance to go back with them and at least be a part of the organization if that was to happen.

How did the job offer with the Blackhawks come about?

CC: I’ve know John McDonough since the ‘80s. I knew him when he was with the Cubs and then he took the president job with the 'Hawks. We’ve always kept in touch and I’ve had a great relationship with him and Mr. Wirtz — (they’d) kidded around, anytime you’re ready to come home, make sure you come see us. When they heard that I was contemplating coming back — like I said, timing is everything. They offered me the same exact position.

Let’s say in the future there’s an outdoors game between Wings and Blackhawks alumni. Who do you play for?

CC: I might have to play a period-and-a-half for the Wings and a period-and-a-half for the Hawks. I can’t choose a favorite.

At the 2016 outdoors alumni game in Denver, when fans booed you, you smiled and booed right back. Have you always enjoyed riling fans?

CC: When I played, I fed off of being booed and sticking it to everybody — more so in Canada, because they took it so seriously. In the mid-90s the 'Hawks had a playoff series with Vancouver. I scored in overtime in Vancouver and they picked me for one of the stars of the game. I skated around the whole ice pumping my fist, and that didn’t go over great.

Now I want to be liked. I’ve had a good rapport with people in Michigan. Hopefully it will be the same in Chicago and it will be an easy transition for me and my wife and kids.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

CC: I’m still not ruling out coaching because so far that’s where I’ve had the most fun. I just have to decide if I want to do it 100 percent — the travel, the grind. That’s the only thing holding me back — and again, my mom, being able to help her out whenever I can. I wasn’t there when my dad passed, I was actually at the rink getting ready for a game. You can’t always be there, but it bothers me a lot that I wasn’t there with my mom when he passed. So we’ll see.

Being president of a team allows you to make your own schedule — you’re working a lot but still, if something comes up, a family matter, you can still make that. That seems like a pretty interesting job to me. Coaching, it’s a lot of hours, and all the instruction with video — to me it’s overkill, but that’s how a lot of young coaches are now.

I’ve never had a partner in the restaurant business and I don’t like being told what to do with my schedule. I listen, but I like being the boss.

Will you keep your restaurant in Detroit?

CC: For now, yes.

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.