Chris Chelios on Team USA World Cup failure, evaluating defensemen (Puck Daddy Q&A)

For over two weeks on the World Cup of Hockey broadcast with ESPN, Chris Chelios didn’t hold back on his opinions.

The Hockey Hall of Famer teamed with Brett Hull to provide analysis between periods, and when it came to the Team USA games, the two generally found themselves being critical the underachieving Americans.

“As far as the system and the way they played, it falls on the coach. Absolutely,” the 54-year-old Chelios said in a phone interview with Puck Daddy. “Especially the way they came out against Team Europe with the outnumbered situations. They looked very unorganized. The forwards and the defense were on two different planets as far as I was concerned and everything that could go wrong for that poor team did.”

Since the World Cup, Chelios, who last suited up for an NHL team in 2009-10 with the Atlanta Thrashers, said he has buried the hatchet with some of the Team USA players who may have been miffed at his words. But it may take longer for him to find common ground with the head coach.

“I got be first to admit I was frustrated and probably a little hard on (coach John) Tortorella, but deservedly so with the way he has treated the media over the years,” Chelios said. “But I didn’t feel bad about that one bit.”

Part of Chelios’ issues may have had to do with the fact that he wasn’t involved with coaching the team. A four-time American Olympian, Chelios is emotionally invested in USA Hockey and indicated he’d love to play a role in the future so a repeat of the World Cup doesn’t occur.

“In a way I was kind of disappointed I wasn’t involved in the World Cup at some capacity,” he said.

Chelios is back with the Detroit Red Wings as an assistant coach, and getting ready for the league’s outdoor games. Chelios will play in the Centennial Classic’s alumni game as a member of the Wings. He will then join former St. Louis Blues captain Chris Pronger for the Coors Light Beer Summit on Jan. 2 in St. Louis before the Winter Classic to talk about the Blues/Chicago Blackhawks rivalry.

We spoke with Chelios about the World Cup, his issues with Tortorella, the beer summit and evaluating modern day NHL defensemen.

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Q: You were part of the World Cup broadcast with ESPN with Brett Hull. What was it like jumping into that field and did you expect to get such positive reviews from your viewership?

CHELIOS: I have to admit I was biased over the U.S. team, both of us because of our history of playing with the U.S. teams. We know what it’s like to win and then again when you struggle and things don’t go your way, we know how that can happen just as easy. I felt really bad for the U.S. team with the way it went down. I tried to be professional. Obviously that’s not my first job. I’ve done it a couple of times before. You try to not let it get personal and that’s all I can do. It’s a tough job when you still feel connected to the guys. I know there’s probably some hard feelings between the players and maybe me and Hully, but we were just doing a job and that’s it. It’s a tough spot to be in.

As far as the feedback, everybody I’ve talked with seemed to like us as a couple of guys, fresh faces on ESPN and ESPN getting hockey back. People actually said they looked forward to hearing form us in between periods, so overall I think it was pretty positive over the course of the two weeks and I really enjoyed working with the guys at ESPN. They’re a class act and I hope they get hockey in the future, the NHL I should say.

Did your assistant coaching role with the Red Wings affect how you gave analysis?

No. Not at all.

So you were pretty emotionally invested in Team USA. Was it tough to provide analysis because of that?

Once they lost to Canada, I got be first to admit I was frustrated and probably a little hard on (coach John) Tortorella, but deservedly so with the way he has treated the media over the years, but I didn’t feel bad about that one bit. But again, it is tough and I’ve talked to Patrick Kane and a couple of the guys and I think they were a little hurt about the fact that we were a little tough on them, but you know what? You move on. I’m in their corner. They know it and the next time they play together, who knows, I might be coaching them.

Have you talked to USA Hockey about coaching them at some point?

Absolutely, absolutely, yeah.

I’ve coached the Deutschland Cup. I’ve coached the World Juniors. Had they asked me to be involved in the World Cup, I would have but I don’t think I would have gotten along too well with Tortorella. I mean, if they wanted me to be a part of it – I’m sure he picked his coaching staff – then they would have asked me. But they didn’t. In a way I was kind of disappointed I wasn’t involved in the World Cup at some capacity. I was in the Olympics in Vancouver with them as part of the management staff. You look at all the other European teams and Canada and they have a lot of ex-players involved with their teams from the NHL and I didn’t see that with the US and I’m still wondering why more of our players aren’t involved. I guess Phil Housley – a very great NHL player was involved in the World Cup this year. But again, I’d never turn it down. I’ve always looked forward to it and they know if I’m available I’m ready to coach the team. It’s a great honor.

What could have Torts done different with this team? Was the failure in the team construction? Was it coaching? Or was it both?

I’ll never second-guess player selection. Hindsight is 20/20. I’ve been on teams where they’ve questioned it before and they won and no one says anything, so there’s a lot of guys that could have been on that team just as easy. There’s just so many spots – just like Team Canada could probably put a second team together. There’s just not enough spots. As far as player selection, I would never question that. As far as the system and the way they played, it falls on the coach. Absolutely. Especially the way they came out against Team Europe with the outnumbered situations. They looked very unorganized. The forwards and the defense were on two different planets as far as I was concerned and everything that could go wrong for that poor team did. It wasn’t lack of effort. Not knowing each other, that has a little to do with it but at the end of the day, hockey is hockey. You have a system and I thought the defense were way too aggressive and got way too involved in the offense and it really cost them.

Have you talked to Torts since the tournament?

No, no. I don’t know him. I don’t know him to be honest with you. I’ve met him. I worked with him in Vancouver a little bit, but I really don’t know him.

So we’re talking to you in part because of this beer summit you’re doing at the Winter Classic in St. Louis with Chris Pronger…

Yeah, that’s what we’ve done since the beginning of time when I started. I know the guys and the kids are doing the same thing, so hockey and beer they go together like peanut butter and jelly. It’s going to be a great weekend. Those outdoor games – every one of them has been a big hit. I’m looking forward to sitting down with Prongs and talking about some of the series we had, and some of the rivalries of playing each other so many times in a season. And it’s great. Me and Prongs hated each other back in the day, but we’ve seen each other since and it’s always good to see him and talk about it and it was a lot of fun.

When you guys finally met was it like, ‘we’re more similar than we really think’ for you two?

You know what, it’s the old story though like with two hockey players. Even when they got into fights on the ice or after the game they run into each other in the bar and they’re having a beer together. It’s kind of an unwritten rule that you don’t hold grudges off the ice. I can honestly say that over the years there might have been a few guys I wouldn’t talk to in the bar, but Prongs wasn’t one of them. I always liked him. When he broke into the league at 18 and 19 with Hartford, I always liked Prongs. He was always good to me. We fought, and it was no big deal. It’s always forgive and forget and these alumni games are great. The Minnesota, Chicago one I hadn’t seen guys for almost 27 years and it was so good to see both teams. And I’m looking forward to the same thing with Prongs and all his ex-teammates when we go at it here at the baseball field.

Because of where you’ve played you’ve been able to play in multiple alumni games with different organizations. You must feel pretty fortunate about this in general.

Oh yeah, especially with the Original Six teams. I had to coach the World Juniors last year and had I not had to do that I would have been able to play in the Montreal/Boston game and played three games. Really disappointed the Hawks and St. Louis and the Wings and Toronto are on the same day, so that’s unfortunate too for some players but like I said … you have to get on that roster too. I know there are some guys in Detroit who are chomping at the bit to wait to see who’s going to be in so they can fill up that roster spot. Back to your question. I don’t take it for granted. I’d play in every game if they played more games. I try to make all the alumni games I can during the regular season where my job allows it. It’s good to see the guys, it’s good to see the fans supporting us. A lot of the guys are really grateful that the fans haven’t forgotten them.

What’s your take on Wayne Gretzky joining the St. Louis Blues alumni for their game? He wasn’t there for that long.

I look at the rosters and I’m comparing it to the Colorado/Detroit game last year. This is going to be a much friendlier and slower paced game. I think it’s great that Gretz is doing it. He didn’t play a whole lot of games for St. Louis but he does have ties – with (his wife) Janet Gretzky, her family is from there and probably had a little bit to do with it. They do have a place in St. Louis. It’s great for the game. We’ve got the best ambassador in all pro sports. For him to put his name to this game and show up … I go to his hockey camp every winter. He’s just a great guy.

What’s your take on evaluating defensemen? Is it a struggle for a lot of people to figure players out because it’s such a reactionary position?

Being in the coaching business now, there’s a lot of teams looking for top four or five or six defensemen, that just play good defense, compete every night and keep the puck out of their net. You have Drew Doughty in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh has Kris Letang, those guys are unique players – Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook (in Chicago). For the most part you can’t be leading the rush anymore as a defenseman. You’re joining the rush. They’re looking for smart, stay-at-home, big body defensemen, just that can play defense. I have a kid in the minors. I’m just trying to tell him to play defense, be responsible, don’t give the puck away. You have a way better chance of making the NHL as opposed to trying to be an offensive defenseman. If you want to be an offensive defenseman, you do it on the power play.

Do we overrate points and plus/minus for defensemen?

I think the only time that that’s of any significance is if it’s lopsided one way or the other in comparison to your teammates. Whether a guy is minus a ton or plus a ton, that’s when I think it makes a difference.

Who is your Norris favorite right now?

You know honestly, I don’t watch enough – I would say Victor Hedman (in Tampa) is probably deserving after what he has done in the past. Sometimes you go by that. They seem to be struggling this year, so I haven’t gotten a chance to see him. You really have to watch. I watched Doughty last night. He was effortless, mistake-free perfect game. He’s a kid who for sure has to be a Norris candidate again the way he’s playing. Duncan Keith was hurt for a little bit. He’s another guy that when he’s at the top of his game, nobody’s better. Those are a few names that I’ll mention.

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Are defenseman better today than when you came in the league? It seems like the big, stay-at-home guy just doesn’t exist anymore.

I think the biggest difference is now-a-days all those big guys – they can skate. Back in the day, the big guys weren’t the greatest skaters. They were slow. Now your big guys are big, they can move, they’re skilled so that’s the biggest difference.

Are you amazed by Jaromir Jagr playing at 45? Or are you like ‘he hasn’t played as long as me. No big deal.’

He can play as long as Florida wants him or someone wants him, as long as he still loves the game and he’s still producing. Last year what he did, I was a defenseman. There was no pressure on me to be offensive. I just sat back and played defense, which was a lot easier than scoring goals. What he contributed last year at his age from a team standpoint and individually was amazing. He seems to be having fun out there. No one touches him. They let him do his thing. Playoffs was a little different story. They bear down and played harder on him and shut him down in the playoffs. It looks like he’s having fun out there. I’d be having fun too if no one was hitting me and letting me do what I want. It’s a credit to him. He has stayed in great shape. Imagine if he didn’t play those three years in the KHL, the records he’d have broken. And still might.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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