Chris Chelios is a true hockey legend. He played in the NHL for 26 seasons, won three Stanley Cups, and is, of course, a Hall of Famer. Known as a great teammate, Chelios never backed down from physical play—something Keith Tkachuk learned firsthand, just three weeks after they won the 1996 World Cup together.
Chris Chelios and Keith Tkachuk are often named among the greatest American-born hockey players of all time. Both have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, and between them, they played a combined total of 2,852 NHL games. They faced off and teamed up multiple times, including during the 1996 World Cup.
Hall of Fame roster
In that tournament, Team USA boasted a star-studded roster, filled with names like Phil Housley, Brett Hull, Mike Modano, and, of course, Chris Chelios and Keith Tkachuk. Team USA went on to win the entire tournament, defeating Team Canada 2–1 in the best-of-three final series. Both Chelios and Tkachuk played key roles in that historic victory. During the tournament, the two got along well and became friends. But once the NHL season resumed, the friendship was put on ice—literally.
Chris Chelios tried to choke Keith Tkachuk
Chelios’ Chicago Blackhawks were playing Tkachuk’s St. Louis Blues when a major scrum broke out during the game. In the chaos, everyone ended up in a pile on the ice—with Chelios on top of Tkachuk, trying to choke him out.
“I was on my last breath. I was down at the end of the pile. I think I tapped out. Even after how many years we played together in these Olympics and World Cups, he just had that face you wanted to punch when he was on the other team,” Tkachuk told ESPN in 2013.
That chokehold on his good friend tells you everything you need to know about Chris Chelios’ fighting spirit, what a legend!
READ MORE: Luc Robitaille once fought a laughing Chris Chelios
