Chelios Hangs Up His Skates

The old man of hockey has called it a day. Veteran defenseman Chris Chelios has apparently decided to hang up his skates and join the Detroit Red Wings front office. According to a report on Fox Sports Detroit, the 48-year-old revealed his plans after singing ā€œTake Me Out to the Ballgameā€ during a Chicago Cubs home game. The station also quotes Red Wings general manager Ken Holland as confirming the move, but without a specific role.

Chelios played in a record-tying 26th NHL season last year, a brief seven-game stint with the Atlanta Thrashers where he failed to record a point. He tied Gordie Howe’s original mark, first set when he played from 1945-71 and 1979-80. Since breaking into the league with Montreal after the 1984 Winter Olympics, the Chicago native compiled 185 goals and 948 points over 1,651 regular-season games with the Canadiens, Blackhawks, Red Wings and Thrashers.

In addition, the often-punishing blueliner recorded 31 goals and 144 points in 266 playoff contests. He was part of three Stanley Cup-winning clubs, the 1986 Canadiens and the Red Wings in 2002 and 2008. Chelios played for the Wings from the tail end of the 1998-99 campaign through 2009.

He was very active in charitable causes during his playing days in Chicago, foundingĀ Cheli’s Children.

Stuff I Read As A Kid

When I was a kid uptil the age of 12, I read Nancy Drew books. Yes I did! And the Hardy Boys too.

And the Famous Five! Remember that they had a tv series as well – 4 British kids and Timothy the dog who have these adventures solving mysteries. I think there was another book series based on 7 kids instead of 5, Secret 7 if I can remember it correctly. Kids solving crimes & mysteries – that was a big deal when I was a pre-teen. Not so much once I turned 13!

Nancy Drew with her best friends George (who is actually a tomboy named Georgina) & Bess went on these trips to solve some mystery or the other. She was aided on occasion by her boyfriend Ned and once in a while her lawyer father Carson. Frank & Joe Hardy, sons of detective Fenton Hardy & Laura Hardy, are teenage detectives who have on occasion joined Nancy & her buddies to solve a really puzzling mystery.

The Famous 5 novels feature the adventures of a group of young children — Julian, Dick, Anne and their cousin George — and their dog Timmy. I only remember one book very vividly – possibly because that’s the only one that I actually owned, the rest were from the library or from friends.

Yeah all kiddy books that I wouldn’t be caught dead with! But they were fun when I was a kid.