Saturday, February 5, 2011

#52 - Chris Chelios

Chris Chelios (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #52)

Adjusted Stats

1983-1984  Mtl        12 GP   0 goals     2 assists     2 points       0.13 PPG
1984-1985  Mtl        76 GP   7 goals     45 assists   52 points     0.68 PPG
1985-1986  Mtl*      42 GP   6 goals     21 assists   27 points     0.64 PPG
1986-1987  Mtl        73 GP   9 goals     28 assists   38 points     0.52 PPG
1987-1988  Mtl        73 GP   17 goals   35 assists   52 points     0.71 PPG
1988-1989  Mtl        82 GP   13 goals   49 assists   62 points     0.75 PPG
1989-1990  Mtl        54 GP   8 goals     19 assists   27 points     0.49 PPG
1990-1991  Chi        79 GP   11 goals   47 assists   58 points     0.74 PPG
1991-1992  Chi        82 GP   8 goals     43 assists   51 points     0.62 PPG
1992-1993  Chi        82 GP   12 goals   48 assists   60 points     0.74 PPG
1993-1994  Chi        74 GP   15 goals   41 assists   56 points     0.75 PPG
1994-1995  Chi        82 GP   9 goals     58 assists   67 points     0.82 PPG
1995-1996  Chi        81 GP   14 goals   57 assists   70 points     0.87 PPG
1996-1997  Chi        72 GP   11 goals   40 assists   51 points     0.70 PPG
1997-1998  Chi        81 GP   3 goals     45 assists   49 points     0.60 PPG
1998-1999  Chi/Det  75 GP  11 goals    32 assists   42 points     0.56 PPG
1999-2000  Det        81 GP   3 goals     35 assists   38 points     0.47 PPG
2000-2001  Det        24 GP   0 goals     3 assists     3 points       0.14 PPG
2001-2002  Det*      79 GP   7 goals     39 assists   46 points     0.58 PPG
2002-2003  Det        66 GP   2 goals     20 assists   22 points     0.33 PPG
2003-2004  Det        69 GP   2 goals     23 assists   25 points     0.36 PPG
2005-2006  Det        81 GP   4 goals     7 assists     11 points     0.14 PPG
2006-2007  Det        71 GP   0 goals     12 assists   12 points     0.17 PPG
2007-2008  Det*      69 GP   3 goals     10 assists   14 points     0.20 PPG
2008-2009  Det        28 GP   0 goals     0 assists     0 points       0.00 PPG
2009-2010  Atl         7 GP     0 goals     0 assists     0 points       0.00 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1983-1984   Mtl        15 GP   1 goal      8 assists     9 points       0.59 PPG
1984-1985   Mtl        9 GP     2 goals     6 assists    8 points       0.83 PPG
1985-1986   Mtl*      20 GP   2 goals     8 assists    10 points     0.48 PPG
1986-1987   Mtl        17 GP   3 goals     8 assists    12 points     0.68 PPG
1987-1988   Mtl        11 GP   2 goals     1 assist      3 points      0.27 PPG
1988-1989   Mtl        21 GP   3 goals     13 assists  16 points     0.78 PPG
1989-1990   Mtl        5 GP     0 goals     1 assist      1 point        0.17 PPG
1990-1991   Chi        6 GP     1 goal       6 assists    7 points      1.14 PPG
1991-1992   Chi        18 GP   5 goals     13 assists  18 points     1.02 PPG
1992-1993   Chi        4 GP     0 goals     2 assists     2 points      0.41 PPG
1993-1994   Chi        6 GP     1 goal       1 assist      2 points      0.33 PPG
1994-1995   Chi        16 GP   4 goals     6 assists     10 points    0.61 PPG
1995-1996   Chi        9 GP     0 goals     3 assists     3 points      0.32 PPG
1996-1997   Chi        6 GP     0 goals     1 assist       1 point       0.18 PPG
1998-1999   Det        10 GP   0 goals     4 assists     4 points      0.44 PPG
1999-2000   Det        9 GP     0 goals     1 assist       1 point       0.13 PPG
2000-2001   Det        5 GP     1 goal       0 assists     1 point       0.23 PPG
2001-2002   Det*      23 GP   1 goal       15 assists   17 points   0.72 PPG
2002-2003   Det        4 GP     0 goals      0 assists     0 points     0.00 PPG
2003-2004   Det        8 GP     0 goals      1 assist      1 point       0.16 PPG
2005-2006   Det        6 GP     0 goals      0 assists     0 points     0.00 PPG
2006-2007   Det        18 GP   1 goal       7 assists     8 points     0.44 PPG
2007-2008   Det*      14 GP   0 goals      0 assists     0 points     0.00 PPG
2008-2009   Det        6 GP     0 goals      0 assists     0 points     0.00 PPG

Career - 1695 GP, 175 goals, 759 assists, 935 points, 0.55 PPG
Career-Highs - 17 goals (87-88); 58 assists (94-95); 70 points (95-96); 0.87 PPG (95-96)
Avg. (25 seasons) - 67 GP, 7 goals, 30 assists, 37 points, 0.55 PPG
Peak Avg. (90-98) - 79 GP, 10 goals, 47 assists, 58 points, 0.73 PPG, 0 Cups

Playoff Career - 266 GP, 27 goals, 105 assists, 134 points, 0.50 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 5 goals (91-92); 15 assists (01-02); 18 points (91-92); 1.14 PPG (90-91)

Accolades - 3 Norris Trophies
All-Star Teams - 5-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
3-time Stanley Cup Champion

Chelios' career started swerving into Rickey Henderson territory as the 2000s came to a close and he struggled to stave off Father Time. Hopefully, people won't let the memory of a 48 year-old Chelios get in the way of remembering him in his prime, the early-to-mid 1990s, when he was generally considered the 2nd best all-around defenceman in the game, just behind Ray Bourque.

Chelios' offensive numbers aren't up there with Bourque, Lidstrom, MacInnis, etc., but he was easily far meaner than any of those above him on the list. An asshole to play against through and through, he punished opponents, oftentimes taking a particular dislike to certain players and making life a living hell for those players (in the 1992 Cup final against Pittsburgh, he seemed to enjoy bullying gentle Larry Murphy).

He won three Norris trophies (one with Montreal and two more with Chicago) and three Stanley Cups (one with Montreal and two with Detroit). Although his peak didn't coincide with the Blackhawks winning the Cup, Chelios was often excellent come postseason time (16 adj. points in 21 GP during Montreal's run to the '89 final; 18 points and a staggering +19 in 18 GP during Chicago's run). Chelios, like Larry Robinson, demonstrated that he did have the offensive ability to ramp up his point totals when needed in the postseason...he just focused more on an overall defensive game during the 82-game grind.

One of Chelios' most remarkable seasons may have come at the age of 40, when, as a Red Wing, he was named to the first all-star team with 46 points and a +40 in the regular season, then followed that up with 17 points and a +15 in 23 GP during Detroit's run to the Stanley Cup. Only Lidstrom and Bourque have had such successful years by a defenceman over 40.

I'll be honest...I didn't like the man. He seemed arrogant, cheap, dirty, a defenceman who would try his best to take away the skill of the opposition by any means necessary. As a fan of the aesthetics of the game, he frustrated me, but if you asked me whether or not I'd take him on my favourite team, the answer would be an unequivocal yes. Chelios may have been an asshole, but he was an asshole who you knew would help you win.

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