The Detroit Red Wings are out of the playoff contention. Still, there was something special when they took on the New Jersey Devils on Friday night at Little Caeser’s Arena. The Red Wings had Chelios in their lineup. Chris Chelios, Hockey Hall of Famer, and now 57-years-old has his career in the rearview mirror. Instead, it was defenceman Jake Chelios who brought his legendary father’s name back to the Red Wings uniform. In his NHL debut, he played a solid game.
Jake Chelios Made NHL Debut For Detroit Red Wings
Like his father, Jake Chelios is a defenceman. The 28-year-old was never drafted and took the long road to the NHL. He played 52 games in the USHL, 154 games in the NCAA, and ultimately 294 games in the AHL. He played two seasons with the Chicago Wolves, before playing for the Charlotte Checkers for the past three seasons. The Red Wings organization signed Jake Chelios to a one-year deal this past off-season.
In his 59 contests with the AHL’s Grand Rapid Griffins, Chelios recorded one goal and 13 assists for 14 points while also playing solid defensive hockey. With the Red Wings season ending without a playoff spot again, head coach Jeff Blashill has decided to give some of the AHLers a few looks. While Jake Chelios is not young anymore, he certainly dreamed of playing in the NHL one day, following in his father’s footsteps.
In his NHL debut, Jake Chelios didn´t disappoint either his father or coach Blashill. He played 17:10 of ice-time while the Red Wings did not allow a goal against and beat the Devils in a 4-0 fashion. Jake and Chris Chelios become the sixth father-son combination in Wings history, joining Sid Abel and Gerry Abel, Adam Brown and Andy Brown, Bill Dineen and Peter Dineen, Gordie Howe and Mark Howe and Jimmy Peters Sr. and Jimmy Peters Jr.
Chelios’ Name Back in Detroit Red Wings Uniform
Chris Chelios is one of the most impactful defencemen of NHL history. He is also one of the most controversial ones. Chris Chelios made his NHL debut in the 1983-1984 season with the Montreal Canadiens. He spent seven seasons in Montreal, before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, his hometown team.
He spent nine seasons playing for his hometown Blackhawks. In 1999, Chelios was traded to the Detroit Red Wings, the team he hated. “I had famously said once in a television interview that I would never play for the Detroit Red Wings,” said Chelios in his memoir book published in 2014. On March 23, it had been 20 years since he was traded from Chicago to Detroit.
“It was not easy for me to walk into Detroit’s dressing room for the first time. It was like crossing enemy lines. I had tussled with Wings captain Steve Yzerman a few times during my career and Sergei Fedorov had been a frequent target of mine,” reflected Chris Chelios. Later on, he found his way in Detroit.
How Chris Chelios Fell In Love With The Red Wings
“My presence in the dressing room was also odd for my new teammates, many of whom had fought me like gladiators through the years. It was pretty awkward for all of us,” remembers Chelios, who had tough times in his first few games after big trade in 1999.
“Truthfully, I was pretty pleased to be joining a team that had an established captain such as Steve Yzerman. Given what I had just gone through in Chicago, I was happy to just concentrate on hockey and not dressing room politics. Yzerman was an intimidating presence. If we lost a game, there wasn’t a guy in the room who would make eye contact with Yzerman. Even at my age, 37, I had a healthy fear of him,” wrote Chelios in his memoir.
Shortly afterwards, he fell in love with the Red Wings and Detroit fell in love with him. “The first time I stepped on the ice for a warm-up in a Wings jersey, the fans stood and applauded. Apparently, they were quick to forgive and forget,” said Chelios. “Many fans in Detroit came up to me and said, ´We used to hate you but now we love you.´”
Chris Chelios never thought, that after being the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks for almost five seasons, he would eventually end up playing more years for the Detroit Red Wings. Chelios wound up winning two Stanley Cups with Detroit. He also holds the record for most NHL games played by a defenceman with 1651.
Jake Chelios Reminded Detroit Fans Of His Father
In the 2009-2010 season, Chris Chelios was still playing hockey. He played seven games for the Atlanta Thrashers in the NHL and 46 games for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL. At the same time, Jake played 52 games for the Chicago Steel in the USHL. Nine years later, the Chelios name was back in the NHL. Making his NHL debut for the Detroit Red Wings, it definitely had to be that way.
.@JChelios42 set for his @NHL debut. #NJDvsDET | #LGRW pic.twitter.com/Cywnq0ky8q
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) 29. marca 2019
“I’m nervous. I got goose-bumps right now just seeing him out there on the ice in the Red Wings uniform. It was great. Good start. As I said, I’m as nervous right now as when I played. At least he’s smiling and I have never smiled. I remember I was scared when I started. I think the biggest thing, I didn’t want to overkill him with advice, I just said have fun,” said Chris Chelios about his son Jake making NHL debut to Fox Sports Detroit.
It’s almost certain that Jake Chelios will never be as good as his father. Since Chris Chelios made his Red Wings debut at the age of 37 and retired at the age of 48 (he didn’t want to), anything seems possible with Chelios in Detroit. Just as Chris said, the most important thing for Jake is to have fun and appreciate his chance at playing in the NHL.
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