In January of 1998, blueline star Chris Chelios was near the end of his career with Chicago. And in this THN Archive article, Chelios weighed in on a slew of topics.

In 1998, veteran defenseman Chris Chelios was playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, for whom he played nine seasons for in his 26-year NHL career. And in this exclusive THN story -- in the issue January 16, 1998 (Vol. 51, Issue 18) -- from then-associate editor Bob McKenzie, Chelios pulled back the curtain on his career in Chicago, trade rumors, and injuries. Here, via the THN Artchive, is McKenzie's story:

CHICAGO – Chris Chelios would be shocked if the Chicago Blackhawks were to trade him, but no more surprised than he was to find out he doesn’t have a no-trade clause.

At age 35, the best American player ever assumed his contract-which has another two seasons to run after this one-provided for no-trade privileges that would allow him, if he desired, to finish his Hall of Fame career in his hometown.

“I thought you have a no-trade clause,” Chelios was asked on the first day of 1998.

“So did I,” Chelios replied, with a laugh and a snort. “I thought, at my age, it was automatic, but it’s not. I never signed (a no-trade agreement). I was shocked. The Hawks told me I didn’t have it. My agent confirmed it. My mistake.”

Not that he’s losing any sleep over it. At least not any more, although that wasn’t necessarily the case in November when ex-Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick suggested the Phoenix Coyotes were making a play to get Chelios. Or in December, when former Hawk GM-coach Mike Keenan, the man who acquired Chelios for Chicago from the Montreal Canadiens. began making overtures on behalf of the Vancouver Canucks.

Chelios was concerned enough to go to new Hawk GM Bob Murray in December and ask him if there was any substance to the trade talk. Chelios wasn’t keen on going to Phoenix, but as he said on New Year’s Day,”I love playing for Mike (Keenan)” and if the Hawks were thinking of moving the veteran defenseman who had been struggling…well, you get the drift.

“I asked Bob Murray what was going on,” Chelios said. “(Hawk owner) Mr. (Bill) Wirtz told me, through Bob, that they’re not going to trade me. I should have known better than to listen to the rumors, especially the stuff from J.R., but I knew (Keenan) was trying to get me.”

And for good reason. Amid intense speculation in October and November that age was robbing Chelios of his talent and he was headed down the slippery slope, the NHL’s ultimate warrior rebounded in a big way in December. On New Year’s Day in a 3-3 tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Chelios put on a vintage performance, playing more than 37 minutes of the 65-minute contest. He was brilliant, waging war on defense and keying the attack on offense, taking two-and three-minute shifts to help rally the Hawks from a 3-1 deficit.

His two goals and 20 points in 40 games don’t begin to paint the picture of what he means to the Hawks or what kind of impact he may yet have this season.

“Chris Chelios isn’t going to be traded,” said Blackhawk coach Craig Hartsburg, clearly disgusted anyone would seriously consider the notion. “It’s wishful thinking on the part of people like Jeremy Roenick and Mike Keenan. Chelly isn’t going anywhere.”

If recent performances are any indication, it looks like he could play forever. On Dec. 28, in a 2-0 United Center win over Anaheim. Chelios abused Mighty Ducks’ star Paul Kariya like he has never been abused. It was nasty, mean…

“And that’s how you can tell when he’s on his game,” Hartsburg said. “He has to have that edge, that intensity or he’s not playing like he can. He won that game (against Anaheim) for us. He took eight minutes in penalties in the first 22 minutes of the game, but he set the whole tone for our team. (Kariya and Teemu Selanne) never got anything. Chelly lifted us to victory.”

Hartsburg said Chelios’ game began returning to its elite level in November when the Hawks went on an extended road trip. It has only been in the past couple weeks, though, that his renaissance has been getting widespread recognition.

Even Chelios was beginning to wonder if age was catching up to him, if he’d ever regain his all-world form. Injuries, he said, played a key role in preventing him from playing at the top of his game.

“There wasn’t a game I played last year when I wasn’t hurting, when injuries weren’t a problem,” he said of his 10-goal, 48-point disappointment in 1996-97. “I never felt good a single day last season. I thought I was healthy to start this season, but I was kidding myself. My knee was still bothering me. so was my shoulder. It has only been in the last month or so I can honestly say, ‘I’m back to 100 per cent.’ And I am. I can really feel it.”

Early this season, Chelios lacked that over-the-top intensity. He was taking too many risks offensively, with nothing to show for them, and leaving himself out of position defensively. He thought about taking a page out of veteran Ray Bourque’s book-the Boston Bruin all-star has been accomplishing more this season by trying to do less offensively-but realized that would only work to a degree.

“The difference between me and Ray is that Ray’s game was to lead the attack and now he’s backing off on that a bit,” Chelios said. “I used to be like that when I first came into the league, but in Montreal I changed the way I played. My offensive role became to join the rush, not lead it. I haven’t really changed too much since then, although I’m trying to keep it simpler. I’m not getting caught up ice as much as I did.”

Still, there’s something not quite right with this picture. As well as Chelios was playing, the 1418-8 Hawks remain in a life-and-death struggle to make the playoffs. Is this a Stanley Cup contender? No, unless you’re a wild-eyed optimist.

Chelios is the first to admit the Blackhawks are further away from Cup contention than they were, say, two years ago, when they played almost even with eventual Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in an overtime-laden six-game series.

“Realistically, we’re not (Cup-winning material) right now,” Chelios said. “We’ve lost seven or eight veterans in the last year or two and that’s not including guys who’ve retired like Steve Smith and Denis Savard.

“It was kind of discouraging at the end of last season when management said our (playoff exit) wasn’t the players’ fault because we didn’t have the depth of talent and then we didn’t add anybody in the off-season.”

Unquestionably, Chelios can hear his biological clock ticking. One would have to assume the Hawks can hear it, too, but there’s a limit to what they can do in such a short time frame. Or is there? The Hawks made a big off-season play for restricted free agent Chris Gratton, but were beaten to the punch by the Philadelphia Flyers’ offer sheet. GM Murray has been exploring any and all mega-moves since then, everything from Jason Arnott to Pavel Bure and beyond, but to no avail.

One school of thought is the Blackhawks are committed to developing their youngsters, such as Eric Daze. Dmitri Nabokov, Steve Dubinsky, Jean-Yves Leroux and Christian Laflamme, amongst others, and will take it as comes in the playoffs this spring.

But with a bevy of star-calibre talent available this summer as unrestricted free agents, the Hawks may be primed to start writing checks. They can certainly afford it. Wirtz is one of the league’s wealthiest owners and the Hawks have been a veritable money-making machine. Their payroll is at around $24 million this season, which is middle of the pack and almost embarrassingly low for a major market such as Chicago.

They could add another $16-to-$20 million annually without creating shockwaves around the league. That’s not the Blackhawks’ traditional way of doing business, but many believe the 68-year-old Wirtz, desperate to win a Cup in his lifetime, will break out of the mold and make serious bids on a free-agent pool that includes St. Louis sniper Brett Hull. Blues’ defenseman Al Madnnis, New Jersey Devils’ center Doug Gilmour and right winger Randy McKay and netminders such as Edmonton’s Curtis Joseph and New York’s Mike Richter.

A few players of that calibre could indeed transform the Blackhawks into instant contenders. And all it would take is money.

Truthfully, it’s difficult to imagine Chelios willingly playing out the string in Chicago without some commitment from the Hawks that they will make a run at the Cup before he turns 40.

Because if they’re not prepared to do that, they might as well trade him to a team that is.