Chris Chelios, born on January 25, 1962, is an American former professional hockey player who played in the NHL for 26 seasons, tying Gordie Howe’s record. He won three Stanley Cups during his career.
Chelios was born in Chicago, but his family moved to southern California, where he couldn’t play hockey. Despite that, the Montreal Canadiens drafted him 40th overall in the 1981 NHL Draft.
In the 1984–1985 season, he established himself with the Canadiens and scored 64 points (9 goals and 55 assists) in 74 games. The following season, he helped Montreal win its first Stanley Cup since 1979. In the 1989–1990 season, Chelios became the first non-Canadian to captain the Canadiens.
In 1990, Chelios joined his hometown Chicago Blackhawks and became one of the best defensemen in the world. He captained the Blackhawks for four of his nine seasons there before moving to the Detroit Red Wings in 1999.
While playing in Detroit, Chelios won two more Stanley Cups, in 2002 and 2008. That Red Wings team ranks among the best in NHL history, featuring future Hall of Famers such as Nicklas Lidström, Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Steve Yzerman, and Sergei Fedorov.
Chelios retired at the age of 48 in 2010 after playing seven games with the Atlanta Thrashers. In total, he played 1,651 NHL games, ranking ninth all-time. During his career, he won three Stanley Cups, earned three Norris Trophies, and entered the Hall of Fame in 2014.
