Should Hawks Sign Chelios?

Is sentiment worth the signing?

By EAMONN BRENNAN

Updated 10:47 AM CST, Tue, Jun 23, 2009

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Chris Chelios has a long, sordid history stuck in the middle of the Blackhawks-Red Wings rivalry.

After playing on the Hawks for the majority of his career, and starring throughout much of the 1990s in the red and black sweaters, the Hawks, and Chelios, did the unthinkable: traded Chris to Detroit.

This would have been a slightly shocking move regardless, given the nature of the rivalry between the two, but Chelios made it even worse by once famously declaring on local television that he would never play for the Red Wings. Chelios had a no-trade clause, and if he wanted to make good on his promise, he could havel; instead, he accepted the trade and promptly won a slew of Stanley Cup titles with his former team's arch nemesis. Not cool man. Not cool.

Now, though, Chelios's tenure with the Wings is over. They released the 47-year-old defenseman yesterday, ending his string of one-year contracts with the team and setting him loose on a free agent market that can't exactly be lining up to sign a nearly 50-year-old player with very little left in the tank.

Except ... maybe the Blackhawks?

In their brief resurgence, the Hawks have made a big show of honoring their history, of bringing former greats into the fold, of celebrating "legacy." (If you don't believe us, see how many times you can count the word "legacy" in the Hawks' pre-game videos.) Signing Chelios would be another step in that direction. Sure, it would be largely ceremonial, but can you imagine the first standing ovation for Chelios as a Hawk? Fans would love it.

Or would they? Chelios has bred his fair share of ill-will lately, and more than that, fans aren't stupid. They're not wholly sentimental. They want to win. Signing a 47-year-old to a spot on the team that could have been used to bring up the Hawks' next viable prospect is not exactly the most shrewd hockey strategy in the world, is it?

It's a thought, but it's probably not a very good one. Chelios had his years for the Hawks, and his years for the Red Wings, and oh well, right? Much Chelios's prime, the past is past. Probably best to leave it there.

Eamonn Brennan is a Chicago-based writer, editor and blogger. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, Mouthpiece Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com. Follow him on Twitter.