DAVID STLUKA
After performing a ceremonial puck
drop last year, Chelios returns to
Madison to be honored Saturday.
said. "I learned more from Grant in two years than I
did from anybody else in all the years that I played.
"Everything he said, I took to heart. He was a
mentor; still to this day, he is."
Fittingly, perhaps, Standbrook will be inducted
into the Manitoba Hall of Fame in November. He
and his son, Todd, have helped train Chelios' two
boys. Both are playing hockey at Michigan State.
Dean Chelios, a fifth-year senior, is a 6-foot,
190-pound forward. Jake Chelios, a senior, is a 6-2,
200-pound defenseman. On having such a famous
dad, Chris Chelios said, "They handled it very well."
Chris and his wife Tracee also have two daughters. The oldest, Caley, is playing lacrosse at Northwestern. Tara is still in high school and would like
to attend the UW, if possible.
"It would give me another excuse to come back
more often," he said. "I love Madison."
If you're looking for another reason why Chelios was such a survivor for all those seasons in the
NHL, you can add family considerations to the list;
the closer he could be to home, he said, the better.
"Most careers end because guys have to uproot
their family at the end of their career to hang in
there," Chelios said. "I found that out in Atlanta.
"It wasn't worth it for me to go play somewhere
away from my family for seven to eight minutes a
game. That's when I knew it was time (to retire). I
enjoy being with my kids.
"I was just really lucky the last three or four
years of my career that I was on such a great team
in Detroit. I had great owners and a great general
manager in Kenny Holland. It was just a great fit."
It still is a great fit for Chelios, who's working in
player development with the Red Wings. Brendan
Smith, a 24-year-old defenseman, is one player that
he's keeping close tabs on.
Smith, a Hobey Baker finalist, played three seasons with the Badgers before turning pro with Detroit. After an apprenticeship in Grand Rapids, he
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