Report: Hall of Famer Chelios returns home

It looks like a return to the Detroit Red Wings for legendary Hall of Famer defenseman Chris Chelios was in the cards all along. After a brief stint working with the NHLPA, which forced him to resign from his development position with the Wings, Chelios was back at Red Wings development camp in Traverse City on a volunteer position. It seems you just can’t keep Chelly away from Motown.

"Basically, I took a leave of absence," Chelios said. "They call it a termination, which is kind of a harsh word. But I took a leave of absence so I could talk to the PA (players' association), talk to players and see if there's anything that (they) might be able to find something I might want to do.

While there’s no immediate plan for Chelios to re-join the Wings on a full-time basis, the 55 year-old seems content to keep his options open for now. “I came up here just as basically a volunteer, nothing's changed. I'm in the same position now with the Wings. There's still some other things I'm looking at, with the U.S. teams and stuff like that."

The Chicago-born defender is proof positive that a tiger can change his stripes. Once the arch nemesis of the Red Wings during his time with the Chicago Blackhawks from 1991-1999, Chelios was remarkably traded to the Wings and went on to play 10 seasons and claim two Stanley Cups with the franchise. Now, he’s a Red Wing through and through and always will be. Welcome home, Chelly.