TSN had some interesting quotes:

"It would have to take a pretty unique situation (to sign with an NHL team).  Not to say I’d be picking and choosing, but I think I’m in a really great situation in Chicago here. It’s much better to be one of the top four defencemen here than it would be to be a seventh defenceman in the NHL.  People might think you’re crazy to say that, but I really do enjoy myself playing here."

"You’ve really got to go out of your way to be prepared in these games. It’s just unfortunate sometimes with the travel. (It’s) not like the NHL, where you’re basically babied and spoiled. But I’ve done this before in junior hockey.

If you’ve got to pay your dues now at the end of your career, big deal. I’m enjoying it. The young guys are a blast to be around."

He said that because they’ve got to take long ass bus rides wherever they play instead of being flown from city to city.  I know that I couldn’t do it – especially if I had won the Stanley Cup three times like Chelios.

But I also think it’s pretty cool.  It shows that he’s playing for the love of the game instead of the almighty dollar and perks and I think that’s great considering how greedy people are getting in the NHL right now. 

image: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat

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