Former Red Wings defenseman and current Chicago Blackhawks ambassador and tequila entrepreneur Chris Chelios made a circuit of Michigan-based minor league baseball teams this past week, throwing out the first pitch and then signing autographs at the West Michigan Whitecaps’ game on Wednesday, and repeating his routine at the Traverse City Pit Spitters’ game on Thursday.
Chelios spoke with the Daily News’s Austin Chastain regarding his newer endeavors as a tequila pitch-man and hockey analyst:
Chelios has remained a busy man after his playing and management days in hockey came to a close.
Since retiring from hockey, the 60-year-old has turned into a businessman and restaurateur with Cheli’s Chili in Detroit — which he closed in 2018 to move back to Chicago to be closer to his mother. He has a new venture in El Bandido Yankee Tequila, which he started with Jim Bob Morris at the beginning of the year.
“Another one of those late-night decisions,” Chelios said. “(Morris) did all the leg work, I’m doing the tequila runs and visiting all these cities trying to promote it. I’ve been in the restaurant and bar business, it’s a little different. At my age, I wasn’t seeing myself doing this, but it’s been a lot of fun — we’ve got a great product and we’re looking forward to being one of the top tequilas in Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.”
On top of promoting his tequila, Chelios spent the hockey season as one of the lead analysts for ESPN’s NHL coverage, including the Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and eventual champion Colorado Avalanche.
ESPN acquired the broadcasting and streaming rights for the NHL in a newly restructured deal beginning this year — along with Turner Sports to show games on TNT and TBS. When Chelios caught wind that ESPN was part of the TV deal, he called the company on behalf of his daughter, Caley Chelios — who has spent time as a color commentator and reporter for ESPN and NHL Network covering the Lightning.
Caley stepped away from the Lightning to move to Chicago and take a reporting and hosting position with the Blackhawks. Meanwhile, ESPN offered Chelios the opportunity to work part-time as a studio analyst with a combination of fellow analyst Mark Messier and hosts John Buccigross and Steve Levy.
“(The part-time offer gave) me a little bit of flexibility in my schedule,” Chelios said. “I’ve got grandkids and I’m always family-first. It was a great experience to work with Messier, Levy, Buccigross and those guys — I worked with them in the past and they’re a class-act. I’m looking forward to another year of doing it.”
Continued (there’s a paywall :/ )
