Hockey royalty doesn’t hand out praise lightly, and that’s exactly why Chris Chelios turning heads this weekend matters.
Fresh off his induction into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame on Friday night, Chelios took a moment to weigh in on the direction of the Detroit Red Wings, and more specifically, the man running the show: Steve Yzerman.
Chelios, who won two Stanley Cups during his legendary run in Detroit, while playing for the team from 1999-2009 during the Wings’ 25-year playoff streak, has seen winning hockey up close. And from his perspective, Yzerman has the franchise right where it needs to be.
“There’s not a harder-working individual, whether he played or coached, or as general manager. It’s a process,” Chelios said via the Detroit News. “They’re there right now.”
That “there” matters. Detroit sits at 19-13-3, right in the thick of a crowded Atlantic Division, and is firmly positioned to push for its first playoff appearance since 2016, the year before Yzerman took over as GM.
Chelios also touched on the upcoming trade deadline, hinting that while fans shouldn’t expect reckless moves, help could be on the way.
“There’s gonna be some tough decisions at the trade deadline,” Chelios said. “I don’t see him panicking and selling the farm, but they’re in a position now where they could make a few moves like Kenny Holland used to.”
For a fanbase starving for postseason hockey, that last part might be the most exciting.
“It’s going to excite a lot of the fans,” Chelios added. “It could be a good run for them.”
Coming from a Hall-of-Famer who lived through Detroit’s golden era, and knows what a contender looks like, that’s about as strong an endorsement as it gets.