image: Zuma Press

“I’ve let everyone know that I have every intention to play,” Chelios said Tuesday at the U.S. Olympic hockey team orientation camp. “It’s tough at my age to get the opportunity.  In Detroit it was just a numbers game. We had the best team in the league, but at some point you’ve got to bring the young guys in. I totally understand it, but I think there’s a lot of teams I can help… I haven’t ruled out anything.  There’s the Russian league, but the biggest thing is being away from family. I love the game and I want to play, but I love my kids more, so we’ll see what happens.  I still consider myself a player.  It’s awkward. It really is, but it’s a learning experience. But I do intend on staying in hockey and this is one step toward my post-career.”

He also talks about how weird it is to be skating alongside 20-year-old Patrick Kane: “It’s embarrassing – my son played against him growing up. They’re both born in 1989, so it’s pretty strange playing against a kid who played against my kid.”

Okay, let’s take a look at this whole scenario.  The first thing is that, while I’m sure he wants to continue playing and is finding it hard to accept retirement, it’s also important to avoid looking desperate and, forgive me for saying this, but this just sounds desperate.  Chelios has had too good a career to go down like this and I hope he eventually leaves the game with grace and his dignity in tact.

The second thing I want to say that, if he finds it embarrassing to be so old that he’s playing against some of his son’s former rivals, then it’s probably time to hang up the skates.  He didn’t say “how cool is it that my son and I have both played against Kane?”  He said it was “embarrassing.”

I’m not sure what’s left to be said here but I think it’s time for Chelios to bow out and maybe assume a coaching or assisting role in the NHL.

Post from: Hockey Beat

The Detroit Free Press quoted Holland as saying the following:  "I met with Chelios and told him we would not be offering him a contract.  He wants to play again. I really think that he does have another year in him. I think he can play 10 to 15 minutes. I think he can play on a third pair."

I know that it’s hard to give up on a career that you’ve had for 26 years but it really might be time for him to hang up the skates.  The 47-year-old appeared in just 28 contests this season and failed to register any points and had a plus –1 rating. 

I personally think that, when you’ve had a great career (in his case, he’s scored 185 goals and added 763 assists for 948 points in 1,644 games), it might be better to go out on a high note rather than stay and be ineffective on some team’s roster.  It’s ultimately up to the player but I think Chelios should take the rest of the summer and think long and hard about retirement.

image: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat