No rocking chair for Chelios

Gordie Howe did it, so why not Chris Chelios?

Chelios, age 47, is hoping to continue his playing career with the hometown Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League, possibly with the intention of eventually returning to the NHL.

Howe -- Mr. Hockey -- was 51 when he scored 15 goals in 80 games for the NHL's Hartford Whalers in 1979-80, so anything is possible.

To say that Chelios is a workhorse in the gym would be quite the understatement. He's still a rock solid 6-foot, 190 pounds and probably would embarrass plenty of players half his age when it comes to workouts.

The three-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL's best defenseman was limited 28 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings because of a broken leg he sustained in an exhibition game, but he played in six playoff games and isn't ready to retire.

Chelios wasn't offered a new contract by the Red Wings or any other NHL team for this season, and he's expected to skate with the Wolves on Monday after the team returns from a road trip.

Chelios is still popular in Chicago -- he spent parts of nine seasons with the Blackhawks -- and the Wolves would be wise to sign him to a contract. No, he can't log 20-plus minutes a game anymore, but he'd provide veteran leadership and solid minutes when called upon.

This wouldn't be Chelios' first stint in the minors. He played in 23 games with the Motor City Mechanics in the United Hockey League during the 2004-05 lockout season.

"Cheli is a guy who knows how to play and how to help your locker room and so to me he'll be a perfect fit for someone," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said.

Former Red Wings teammate Nicklas Lidstrom, who knows more than a little about playing defense at an elite level, is in Chelios' corner.

"It's amazing that someone at his age still has the drive and the love of the game and wants to continue to play," Lidstrom said. "All the power to him for still being able to play. He can still contribute to a team, especially with his leadership."

Chelios began his NHL career in 1983-84 with the Montreal Canadiens. He's collected 185 goals and 763 assists in 1,644 career games, the most by an American-born player. He's won three Stanley Cups, played in 11 NHL All-Star Games and been a member of four U.S. Olympic teams.

Loose lips costs Leafs a fine

Score one for the Vancouver Canucks ... well, sort of.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were fined an undisclosed amount today by the NHL because, league deputy commmissioner Bill Daly said, coach Ron Wilson violated a league by-law "relating to inappropriate public comments by speaking generally to his club's potential interest in negotiating with Daniel and Henrik Sedin" before the Canucks forwards had officially become free agents.

The Sedins eventually re-signed with the Canucks, getting five-year contracts worth $6.1 million a season.

However, Daly ruled that the league "found no evidence whatsoever" to support the Canucks' concerns that the Leafs might "have engaged in any other conduct of activities" regarding the Sedins that would have been in violation of its rules relating to tampering.

Wilson told Toronto radio station The Fan 590 on June 30, the day before the NHL's free agent period began, that the Leafs would be interested in signing both players.

"You're hearing right now, and this sounds very contradictory, but there's a real possibility, I would think, thet we would be going after the Sedins," Wilson told the station. "Let's just speculate there."

If the Leafs had been found guilty of tampering, they could have been fined $1 million and forced to give the Canucks a first-round draft pick.

Too early to panic in Vancouver

Hey, what's the deal with the Vancouver Canucks? Picked by many -- but not me, I like Calgary -- to finish first in the Northwest Division, the Canucks have lost their first three games and haven't looked very good while doing it.

The biggest problem: subpar work by star goalie Roberto Luongo, who was yanked in Monday's home opener against Columbus after allowing goals on three consecutive shots to begin the second period.

Luongo actually played OK in Saturday's 3-0 loss in Denver, but he was medicore at best in Vancouver's season-opening defeat in Calgary and awful against the Blue Jackets.

Luongo is the Canucks' best player -- at least, he should be -- and he's just too talented to keep playing the way he has. Vancouver has outshot the opposition by a wide margin in each of the first three games, yet has nothing to show for it.

Luongo was in goal for 33 of the Canucks' 45 wins a year ago and is a perennial Vezina Trophy candidate, but he hasn't played like one so far this season. Assuming he starts Wednesday against Montreal, he'll take a 4.55 goals-against average and .820 save percentage into the game.

It doesn't get much uglier than that.

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault isn't pushing the panic button yet. Nor should he, not with 79 games still to play.

"Roberto is one of the best goaltenders in the league and definitely one of the hardest workers in this league, so he's going to find his game like he always does," Vigneault told Vancouver reporters. "The other parts of our game are pretty good. Obviously, we're making a few mistakes, but we are generating a lot. And we're not that far away."

I wouldn't worry too much about the Canucks. Luongo will get back on track, the Sedin twins will pop in a few goals, that first win will come and all will be well in beautiful British Columbia.

For a day or two, anyway.

A shrine for Sakic

The Colorado Avalanche certainly did it up big Thursday night for former captain Joe Sakic, whose No. 19 jersey was officially retired at the Pepsi Center before the season-opening 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.

A banner with the digits was raised to the arena's rafters to conclude the 45-minute tribute, joining those of Patrick Roy (No. 33) and Ray Bourque (No. 77).

"To see it up there with Patrick and Ray, it's a tremendous honor," said Sakic, who was accompanied by his parents, his wife Debbie and their three children.

Not only that, the Avalanche surprised Sakic by creating a shrine at his old corner locker.

Here's a picture I snapped -- not bad for a fairly no-frills cell phone -- after the game. Sakic's jersey, helmet, skates, stick and other equipment have been encased in plexi-glass, to be viewed by present and former Avalanche players as inspiration.

"They didn't even give me a heads-up on that," Sakic said. "When I walked in the room and saw that, I did a double-take. Honestly, when I saw that, I almost broke down. I got a chance to really look at it (after the ceremony). Never in my life or in my dreams could I imagine that. That's something I really appreciate."

During his tribute, Sakic teased the sellout crowd during his speech that he was "kind of getting that itch" to play again. The fans roared with approval.

But Sakic, who retired on July 9, later told reporters he wasn't really serious about pulling a Brett Favre.

"It was in the moment," he said. "You do look forward to opening night, especially at home. When I played and trained, you couldn't wait for the game to start. I know I'll be up in the stands watching and there are going to be parts of me saying, 'I wish I was out there.' But, no, there's actually no itch to come back."

Sakic, 40, began his NHL career in 1988 with the Quebec Nordiques, who moved to Denver in 1995 and were renamed the Avalanche. He leaves as the owner of practically every significant offensive record in franchise history, including 625 goals, 1,641 points, 84 playoff goals and 188 playoff points.

Sakic won two Stanley Cups with the Avalanche and an Olympic gold medal for Canada in 2002. He captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP in 1996 when the Avalanche won its first Cup, along with the Hart and Lady Byng trophies in 2001 when Colorado collected its second league championship.

Blake to wear Sharks' 'C'

Good move by the San Jose Sharks today, naming Rob Blake team captain.

"(Blake) has experience captaining a team and will give us everything he has,” coach Todd McLellan was quoted as saying on the Sharks web site http://sharks.nhl.com. "He will hold his teammates to the highest standard.”

Blake, who turns 40 in December, has been captain of the Los Angeles Kings and won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001. Perhaps he can show his teammates what it takes to win in the playoffs, something the Sharks haven't managed to do even after successful regular seasons.

Joe Thornton, the Sharks' best player, will wear an 'A' as an assistant captain, along with Dan Boyle.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Blake is entering his 20th NHL season and second with the Sharks. He's coming off a 10-goal, 45-point season and was a plus-15.

McLellan took the captainship away from Patrick Marleau in the offseason following the Sharks' first-round loss to the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks in the playoffs after winning the Presidents' Trophy with the NHL's best regular-season record.

"When you're expected to go far in the playoffs and you don't, things change," Marleau said. "I don't think it's total blame. It's collectively. Everybody on the team knows we messed up."

The underachieving Sharks have won four Pacific Division titles in the past seven seasons, but they've never made it beyond the 2004 Western Conference finals.

Hejduk seals new deal

I spoke with Colorado Avalanche right wing Milan Hejduk today about his decision to sign a one-year contract extension that will take him through the 2010-11 season.

Hejduk, 33, is about to embark on his 11th NHL season, all with the Avalanche, and is one of two remaining links to the team's 2001 Stanley Cup championship team, the other being defenseman and new captain Adam Foote.

"The team has changed big time since then," said Hejduk, who is coming off a 27-goal, 59-point campaign. He led the Avalanche in goals and tied Ryan Smyth, who was traded to Los Angeles over the summer, for the team lead in points.

Hejduk wasn't certain during last season if he wanted to play beyond this year, but he still feels he can play at a high level and believes the Avalanche is on the right track with its rebuilding program after last season's last-place finish in the Western Conference.

"I decided to go one more year and we started negotiating," said Hejduk, who will make $3.9 million this season and $3 million in 2010-11. His deal includes a no-movement clause.

"I wanted to get it done before the start of the year so I wouldn't have to deal with it during the year," he said. "With February and March and the (league trading) deadline coming, there's always tons of rumors and I didn't want to have to go through that. Definitely me and my family, we don't want to go anywhere else. I didn't want to do that five or six years ago and I don't want to do it now."

Eleven of the 23 players who will begin the season with the Avalanche are 25 or younger. The roster includes two 18-year-olds, first-round draft pick Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly, the first of the team's two second-round picks.

"We've got some really good looking kids," Hejduk said. "It looks like we've got some really good young players in the organization, more depth than I saw at last year's camp."

One familiar name is missing.

The roster doesn't include longtime captain Joe Sakic, who retired in July. As of today, his corner locker remained empty as a tribute to the future Hockey Hall of Famer. His No. 19 jersey will be retired during ceremonies before the Avalanche meets San Jose on Thursday in the season opener at the Pepsi Center.

"Joe was the face of the franchise for such a long time," Hejduk said. "We'll be a younger team. Obviously everyone will miss Joe -- the fans, us -- in the locker room and off the ice. But what can you do? If it's time, it's time. We all have to retire at some point.

"It is a different feeling. The main guy, the key guy, is gone. But after a while, you'll get used to it. It'll be pretty exciting when Joe is honored. He's definitely earned it."

Fleury released, but he's still a winner

Well done, Theo Fleury.

No, the comeback kid's attempted comeback didn't pan out with the Calgary Flames, but he did himself proud nonetheless.

Fleury was released by the Flames today, but he performed a lot better than anyone could have anticipated with four points in four preseason games, along with a winning shootout goal.

Not bad for a guy who is 41, has been out of the NHL for six years and is a recovering alcoholic. He's been sober for some time and will continue to fight the good fight, so kudos to him.

In order for Fleury to crack the Flames' 23-man roster -- playing in the minors apparently wasn't an option -- he had to convince the coaching staff that he was one of the team's top six wingers, and his foot speed just isn't there anymore.

"It had nothing to do with his heart or his mind for the game," Flames coach Brent Sutter told Calgary reporters. "At the age he's at, the legs just aren't where they need to be. That's certainly not his fault. It happens. That's natural and it's happened. But I'm darned proud of Theo, I really am.

"This isn't just about hockey. It's about life, and where he's at in his life."

And for that, Fleury ought to be quite proud.

"I said in the beginning that no matter what the outcome, this would be a success story," Fleury said in a statement. "I intend to take the next few days to review this experience and make decisions with my family regarding next steps in my life."