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The Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night had a ceremony to retire Chris Chelios' No. 7 jersey. He became the ninth player in franchise history to have his jersey retired.
Chelios played for an impressive 26 seasons in the NHL, including nine with the Blackhawks. He's widely regarded as one of the best defensemen to grace the league.
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He won the Norris Trophy for the best defenseman three times and three Stanley Cups, two with the Detroit Red Wings and one with the Montreal Canadiens. In 2013, Chris Chelios was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The jersey retirement ceremony for Chelios was attended by some big names. On that note, here's the full list of attendees at the United Center to honor the legendary defenseman.
Notable names to attend Chris Chelios' jersey retirement ceremony
#5 Basketball HoFer Dennis Rodman
Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman is widely regarded as the best rebounding forward in NBA history. The five-time NBA champion played for multiple teams in his 14-year-long career.
The NBA legend played for the Chicago Bulls during the same period that Chelios was with the Chicago Blackhawks.
#4 Chris Chelios' former teammates
Chelios' Blackhawks teammates during his nine-year stint with the franchise were also present at the United Center. These include Gary Suter, Denis Savard, Tony Amonte, Ed Belfour and Jeremy Roenick.
#3 Brett Hull, Theo Epstein
Brett Hull, a Hockey Hall of Famer, had a 19-year NHL career. He was Chelios' teammate on Team USA's 1996 World Cup-winning roster.
Theo Epstein served as the Red Sox's general manager before becoming the president of the Chicago Cubs of the MLB.
#2 Mark Messier
Mark Messier, a six-time Stanley Cup winner and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, was among the hockey royalty to honor Chris Chelios.
Messier and Chelios worked as studio analysts alongside P.K. Subban and Steve Levy during the 2016 World Cup games on ESPN and ESPN+.
#1 Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky, the all-time leading NHL scorer, was the biggest notable hockey figure at the ceremony. Gretzky and Chelios share a deep friendship.
Apart from the aforementioned names, five members of the Hawks dynasty were also present in the ceremony: Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane, now playing for the Detroit Red Wings.
Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder and supermodel and Chicago legend Cindy Crawford were also at the ceremony. Meanwhile, Connor Bedard made his way to the United Center while donning Chelios' jersey.
