Pearl Jam Let NHL Great Chris Chelios Know The Blackhawks Are Retiring His Number
Having your number retired is one of the greatest honors a player can receive. The Chicago Blackhawks found a way to deliver that news to NHL great Chris Chelios with a little help from Pearl Jam.
The grunge icons were performing at the United Center when Chelios joined them onstage wearing a Blackhawks jersey honoring late franchise owner Rocky Wirtz.
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder — a friend of Chelios' — told the Hockey Hall of Famer that before Wirtz died in July, one of his last wishes was to honor Chelios. Vedder pointed at one of the screens in the arena which played a video announcing Chelios' No. 7 will be retired.
Incredible. What a moment (and I could understand every word Eddie Vedder said, which is also kind of rare).
After the announcement, the rest of the band came back onstage wearing Chelios jerseys.
The former ESPN analyst played an incredible 26 NHL seasons mostly with the Canadiens, Blackhawks, and Red Wings. He retired at age 48 following the 2009-10 season as a member of the Atlanta Thrashers.
A well-deserved honor for sure. He'll join Glenn Hall, Keith Magnuson, Pierre Pilote, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito, and Marian Hossa who all have banners hanging in the United Center rafters.
Could Chelios Share A Banner?
What's also kind of interesting is that the Blackhawks allow multiple players who shared a number to be honored. That's the case with Magnuson and Pilote who both wore No. 3. It makes you wonder if someday, Chelios might share a banner with Brent Seabrook.
He spent his entire playing career with the Blackhawks and was part of their three-Cup dynasty in the 2010s.
Seabrook hasn't played a game since 2021, and his contract was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning that same year. He plans to retire when his current contract runs out at the end of the 2023-24 season. Per Blackhawks rules, he'll have to wait three years before he can have his jersey retired.
However, with the franchise's centennial just a couple of years away, that seems like it could be likely.
“There is a lot to come for the organization as we celebrate achievements of the many great players who have worn the Blackhawks sweater,” Blackhawks president of business operations Jaime Faulkner said, per the Associated Press.
“With our upcoming centennial celebration during the 2025-26 season, plans to celebrate our alumni and additional jersey retirements will continue to emerge as we look forward to sharing that with our fans.”
As for Chelios' ceremony, it will be on February 25, 2024. That's fitting since the Blackhawks host another one of his old teams, the Detroit Red Wings, that day.
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