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Hockeytown0001

2,000 Posts for Game 7 Win

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Is there a point to it. Why not just ride out of the sauna

Chelios pedals to longevity in Red Wings sauna

DETROIT — The running joke about defenseman Chris Chelios is he has discovered the fountain of youth in the Detroit Red Wings' sauna.

At 45 the NHL's oldest player, Chelios includes in his training ritual riding a stationary bike for up to 45 minutes in the sauna. An "aerobic wash," as he terms it.

"That's just crazy," Red Wings right wing Dan Cleary says. "I tried it, and it just burns your nostrils."

Cleary insists Chelios' effectiveness in his 23rd NHL season — including a goal and two assists in eight playoff games — has nothing to with the sauna and everything to do with his extraordinary commitment to in-season and offseason physical training.

"He's still playing because he is in better shape than most players in this league," Cleary says.

The Wings, trailing the San Jose Sharks 2-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals, play tonight in San Jose — Chelios' 238th NHL playoff appearance. The Chicago native trails only goaltender Patrick Roy (247) on that all-time list.

Chelios is also the second-oldest to play in the NHL postseason, trailing only Gordie Howe, who was 52 when he competed for the Hartford Whalers in 1980.

As incredible, Chelios has missed the playoffs only once — in 1988 — in his 23 seasons.

"He's still playing because of his incredible passion," Detroit general manager Ken Holland says.

"And you have to remember that you aren't talking about a player who was just an above-average player in his prime. You are talking about a player who was a Norris Trophy winner (as top defenseman) and probably the greatest American defenseman of all time."

Chelios believes many factors account for his longevity, including a change in his training regimen. He used to run a lot. Now he does more mountain biking and water work. He goes to California every summer to work with personal trainer T.R. Goodman.

"I've been fortunate to stay healthy," Chelios says. "And I've not had to uproot my family. (It) probably would have been the end of my career a few years ago if I had not been able to play with Detroit.

"The team has had a lot of success, and that's what kept me around."

Chelios is not a spare part for the Red Wings: He's playing almost 17 minutes a game and joins Nicklas Lidstrom on Detroit's No. 1 penalty-killing unit. He leads all Detroit defensemen in plus-minus statistics (plus 6), meaning he has been on the ice for six more goals for the Wings than against them.

Detroit assistant general manager Jim Nill credits Chelios' work ethic for his longevity and recalls when the defenseman suffered a significant knee injury several years ago that could have signaled the beginning of the end.

"The team was on the road, and the arena was dark," Nill says. "I came in and heard something, and it was Chelios skating down the ice. It wasn't long after his surgery. He wasn't allowed to turn, so he'd lift himself on the boards to turn around.

"He was by himself. No one there to see it. That's why he's still playing. He is the first one to the rink and the last to leave."

Ultimate warrior

Recently, teammates thought it appropriate that Chelios, proud of his Greek heritage, announced he had enjoyed the movie 300, the story of the small army of Spartans that held off an overwhelming force of Persians. The Wings say Chelios, whose real name is Christos Kostas Tselios, would have fit in well with the Spartans.

"His new nickname is 'Sparta,' " Detroit center Kris Draper says. "His mom is from there, so it has to be in his bloodline."

Chelios has long been viewed as the league's ultimate playoff warrior. In his early years he piled up penalty minutes, and not all from hooking and holding. From 1987-94 he averaged about 208 penalty minutes, with a high of 282 for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1992-93.

"Oh, he was nasty," says Nill, who played against him. "He stands up to everyone and backs down to no one."

Chelios doesn't cross the line as he did in his younger days, although he still plays on the edge.

"He has a will about him," Cleary says. "If you pick a fight with him, you better make sure he's gone because he won't ever quit."

Holland believes Chelios could still play 20 minutes a game if the Red Wings needed it.

"Late in the game, (coach) Mike Babcock always puts him on the ice to protect the lead," Holland said. "He plays the critical times in the game."

Chelios' mobility is still evident. "His first step is probably the quickest on the team," Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg says.

Chelios isn't sure he buys that but says, "I think without the puck. I'm as good as I ever was."

In his prime, Chelios was an offensive threat; he once scored 20 goals in a season (in 1987-88 with the Montreal Canadiens).

He didn't score a goal in this regular season.

"I don't think I ever lost my skill," he says. "But my whole role has changed. In the past, I played more offensive, on the power play. I always had a defensive partner like Craig Ludwig or Steve Smith."

Lidstrom and Mathieu Schneider are the Detroit defensemen who are the main point men on the power play now.

"It's about opportunity. I'm fortunate to still be in the league, so I'm content with whatever role I have," Chelios says.

An impish grin emerges as he adds, "But like I've said all year, I would like to sink my teeth into that power-play action."

Chelios is such a passionate competitor that even his leisure activities involve sports. A couple of years ago he took bobsled runs with the idea of putting together a Greek team for the Olympics. He is a diehard Chicago Bears fan and is a fixture around the Detroit sports scene, often seen attending games with close friend Kid Rock.

Elder statesman

Off the ice, Chelios is a different kind of warrior. After the 2004-05 NHL lockout and the new collective bargaining agreement, Chelios believed procedure wasn't followed when Ted Saskin replaced Bob Goodenow as executive director of the NHL Players Association.

Chelios and a small group of what came to be known as "the dissident players" kept pushing, through legal channels and lobbying, for Saskin to step down and allow a search committee to pick a successor. Saskin repeatedly said the Chelios-led group represented a minority position and would not prevail.

Today, Saskin is on paid leave as an independent counsel reviews his rise to power and conduct regarding allegations of reading player e-mails.

Chelios says he learned to educate himself as a union member and to look after the younger players from former Montreal stars Bob Gainey, Larry Robinson and Bobby Smith.

"I feel an obligation as an elder statesman in the league. If it was 10 years ago, I would have felt the same way," Chelios says. "Ninety-five percent of the players you talk to are in agreement now, and that's something that has not been the case in the last 19 months. That's a big plus for our union."

Chelios says he has promised Howe his record is safe because he won't play beyond 51, but he's not ruling out anything else. Holland has said he wants to re-sign Chelios for next season.

"If he stays away from a major injury," Holland says, "he could play until he's 50."

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