I have really enjoyed Caley Chelios’ work for NBC SportsNet on Blackhawks broadcasts. She worked previously in Tampa, and came home and has done a good job in a number of roles — especially during pre and post-game shows and between periods.
Could she be joined in the Chicago media circle by her father for the coming season?
Chris Chelios, the Hall of Fame defenseman who spent nine of his 26 NHL seasons with the Blackhawks and is a Chicagoland native, will reportedly not be back at ESPN this fall. The Athletic reported on Monday that his contract will not be renewed for the 2023-24 season.
In April, reports surfaced that Chris is selling his home in Malibu (for a modest $75 million). He obviously has family in the area, and has continued to be a presence with the Blackhawks as they rethink their ambassador program. So coming home would make sense in many regards (though I fully understand wanting to be in Malibu instead of Chicago between Dec. 1 and April 1).
But there’s a possible wrinkle in the story here. Remember the Philadelphia Flyers hired Keith Jones as their new president of hockey operations. He’s been in the broadcast booth, both in Philly and nationally with NBC and now Turner, for two decades. So there’s a void there.
One of the former players who did some studio work with NBC before they walked away from the NHL was Patrick Sharp, who was part of a rotation in the TV booth in Chicago this past season as the Blackhawks looked to replace the partnership of Hall of Famer Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk. Sharp and Troy Murray split color duties with Chris Vosters this past season.
There have been whispers that Turner might make a play for Sharp to join their team in some regard for the coming season. If he gets a call to potentially replace some of Jones’ roles, could Chris Chelios make appearances in the booth for his childhood team?
This past season, Chelios pinch hit in the radio booth for a game when there was a late need for a color voice.