DETROIT (Reuters) - Chris Chelios, the NHL's oldest active player, hopes to sign with another team after being released by the Detroit Red Wings, he said on Wednesday.
"Whether I can get the opportunity in the right situation in the right city, it just remains to be seen," the 47-year-old defenseman told a gathering at his Detroit restaurant to discuss his plans. "That's all it is. There's no question I feel I can play."
If Chelios does find a team interested in his services it would be his 26th NHL season.
Described by his team mates as a "freak of nature," the ultra-fit Chelios has defied age with the help of a tough workout regime that has allowed him to survive nearly three decades of pounding.
Chelios is the second-oldest player to play in the NHL behind Hall of Famer Gordie Howe, who played when he was 52.
He is also the only player to appear in 400 games or more for three different teams: Montreal, Chicago and Detroit, and leads all American-born NHL players in games played with 1,644.
This past season, slowed by injuries, Chelios appeared in just 28 games for the Red Wings and failed to score a point.
The veteran blueliner also saw only limited action during the post-season, playing in just six games as Detroit made a run to the Stanley Cup finals, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
However, Chelios's trophy case includes three Stanley Cups, including two with the Red Wings, and three Norris trophies as the NHL's top defenseman.
"I have no regrets," said Chelios about his time with the Red Wings. "I was one game shy of winning the Stanley Cup and it couldn't have gone any better."
(Writing by Steve Keating in Toronto)
Source: Reuters
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