Former Chicago Blackhawks great Chris Chelios. Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Blackhawks retire Chris Chelios' jersey with stars in attendance

By Nicholas Meyer | Last updated 2/26/24

Chris Chelios had his classic No. 7 jersey retired by the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday during a 3-2 overtime loss against the Detroit Red Wings in The Windy City.

Chelios rode out to center ice in a convertible prior to addressing the home crowd and watching his jersey head to the rafters.

"It's one thing to have your jersey retired; it's another to do it in your hometown," Chelios said at the ceremony, which was attended by stars including Wayne Gretzky, Dennis Rodman and Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder.

Chelios said his trade to the Blackhawks was the "greatest day" of his life and called himself "incredibly lucky" to the play in the NHL.

"I'm not going to say it was a dream come true, because it was never a dream. I wanted to make the NHL as soon as I knew I had a chance, but it's crazy,” Chelios said, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Chelios was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013. He won three Stanley Cups over his 26 seasons in the league, one with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986 and twice with the Red Wings in 2002 and 2008. He finished his career tied for first all-time in seasons played with Gordie Howe and ninth all-time in games played.

One of the most dominant defensemen ever, Chelios led the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Final in 1992 and played with the team from 1990-99. He played for the rival Detroit Red Wings until 2010 before closing out his career with a seven game set with the Atlanta Thrashers.

Chelios was traded to Detroit in 1999 for defenseman Anders Eriksson and two first-round draft picks in 1999. He said that the trade to the rival Red Wings was "not his first choice" but ended up becoming a champion and fan favorite in The Motor City.

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