I love reading autobiographies to learn new things about
people I’ve looked up to, and I’d hardly read fifteen pages of Chris Chelios: Made in America before I
was surprised to learn that Chris Chelios lived a month in Australia, and might
have been here longer had his father’s business interests not fallen apart at
the seams soon after their arrival.
Chelios is a Hall of Fame defenseman who is known mostly for
his time spent in the NHL with his hometown Chicago Blackhawks and then their
arch rival, the Detroit Red Wings, where he was traded after famously promising
to the Chicago media that he would never play for the Red Wings.
As far as defensemen in the 90s and 00s went, Chelios was
about as famous as they came, with Norris Trophies, Stanley Cup championships, a
World Cup of Hockey Gold medal and an Olympic medal – though not the Gold medal
that he so badly wanted – to his name over a career that didn’t end until he
was in his mid-forties. The crazy thing is that Chelios, as tough a defenseman
as there’s ever been, was still playing at an impressive level at that advanced
age, and might have been able to go on for even longer, had an NHL team come
calling.
There’s a definite flow to the tales Chelios, a
Greek-American from a middle-class family who went on to conquer the great game
of hockey (aided by the very excellent hockey writer, Kevin Allen) relates. It
starts in Chicago, goes through San Diego, then Moose Jaw in Canada where
Chelios played junior hockey, and Madison, Wisconsin (where he played college
hockey at the University of Wisconsin under the famous ‘Badger’ Bob Johnson)
through NHL stops in Montreal, Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta. He captained
America and represented the stars and stripes at multiple Olympic Games and
other international tournaments, and even had a late-career stint with the
Chicago Wolves of the AHL.
It’s all there, warts and all. Like his playing style,
Chelios doesn’t hold back. If he doesn’t like someone, he doesn’t exactly make
that a secret in the pages of his book. There’s fascinating detail about life
and hockey in the insane hotbed of the game that is Montreal, where Canadiens
fans have near-ridiculous expectations for their team every year. He admits he didn’t
completely get on with Detroit coach Mike Babcock, but respected him nonetheless, and reveals a few truths
about the NHL lockouts and the way the NHL Players Association was run. It’s
warts and all.
Chelios’ trade to Chicago was notable, and he writes that he
firmly believed he would be with the Blackhawks for the rest of his career. Chicago
had other thoughts on the matter, trying to convince him to retire and take a
front office job. To his credit, Chelios believed he had more hockey in him,
hence the trade to Detroit – which still divides fans to this day, as you learn
when he writes about the ceremony the Blackhawks organised, which featured much
boing from the United Centre faithful – where he won a Stanley Cup championship
twice. Obviously, his decision was the correct one, and it’s fair to say that
his additional years in Detroit probably helped him to be nominated for the
Hockey Hall of Fame, a nomination that is incredibly well-deserved,
It’s a remarkable tale of a guy who wasn’t sure he wanted to
play pro hockey until a fairly advanced age, at least in comparison to guys who’re
born on skates and think about reaching the pros from whatever age they can
grasp the concept of pro hockey. It’s also a very humble book, and Chelios
comes across as a good guy, who loves his family and hockey, and is genuine. Something
I love about even the biggest hockey star is how down to earth they are, more
so, I think, than NFL, NBA or MLB players, and Chelios is absolutely that, despite
the fact that he can count extraordinary people like John Cusack, Kid Rock,
Wayne Gretzky (who wrote a foreword) and Michael Jordan as friends. He’s also
genuinely glad to have been able to play the game, and seems incredibly
grateful for everything that the game has provided him. Chelios has given
plenty back.
If you love hockey, especially American hockey and it’s
personalities, Chris Chelios: Made in
America is a must-read.
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