Should Stan Bowman Be Worried That The Blackhawks Have Hired Chris Chelios?

**Running this blog back because when I originally wrote it in summer 2018 it was kind of a joke. Now it’s not. Bowman has to go. The more I think about it the more I want someone from outside of Hockey Ops stepping in. I always get Al MacIsaac and Norm MacIver confused in my brain. I’ve been told one of them is really smart and qualified and the other is an asshole who just explains what offsides is to John McDonough. They’re both guilty by association, unfortunately for them. Time for a fresh voice and a fresh vision, even if it’s just on an interim basis.

Yesterday morning the Chicago Blackhawks welcomed home Chris Chelios by announcing his position as a Blackhawks ambassador. My ears perked up. I will admit something first though…I’m naturally inclined to have my ears perk up. I love conspiracies. Ancient Aliens, JFK assassination, big pharma/big Ag/big oil…what are those guys up to? Probably some evil shit. Religion? Go check out the books by John Marco Allegro. That guy will knock your socks right the fuck off.

Anyways, back to the Chicago Blackhawks. A highly secretive organization. Nobody knows anything. What we do know is that for the first time it appears that Stan Bowman might be on the hot seat. Comments made earlier this summer by Rocky Wirtz would suggest that if the team continues this downward trend that changes are coming.

Now, Chris Chelios has said that he has personal reasons for moving back home to Chicago. His father passed away last year and he wants to be closer to his mother. His kids are now grown and obviously Cheli is a born and raised Chicago guy. This is his home. Totally reasonable and plausible that the Hawks were just being nice and giving him a paycheck to be an ambassador. Trot him out there with Hull, Espo, Savvy, and let him wave to the crowd, sign autographs and kiss babies. That’s totally what it is…

What else do we know about Chris Chelios? Well…he’s in love with hockey. Like IN love with it. The guy played until he was 48 years old. His last season he played 46 games in the AHL for…fun? The guy is a hockey psycho. After playing he was immediately hired to a front office position by the Red Wings. Since then Chelios has also been an Assistant Coach for the WJC USA Hockey team, an assistant coach with the Red Wings, and an Assistant Coach with the 2018 USA Olympic Team. The guy has been ACTIVELY involved in hockey since he was like 5 years-old and now he’s going to give all that up to sit in a suite at the United Center and wave to the crowd on the jumbotron a couple times a week? It’s suspect

Sliding in replacements through the side door does seem to be a Blackhawks regime standard move. Remember when Joel Quenneville was hired as a “scout” for the Blackhawks and totally wasn’t the coach-in-waiting? The front office took the first chance they got to fire Denis Savard knowing they had Joel in the fold.

Or how about when John McDonough hated Dale Tallon for golfing too much and replaced him with a guy who was laying in the organizational weeds waiting to snatch up all the Stanley Cup glory?

Hmmm… Hmmm indeed. I’m sure it’s nothing. Nothing to worry about Stan. Just bringing back a Chicago legend with 3 Stanley Cups, 3 Norris Trophies, coaching experience, development experience, scouting experience, and development experience. Nothing to see here. Your job is TOTALLY safe, Stan. Cheli is just here to kiss babies and go to Cubs games with Eddie Vedder and John Cusack.