Chelios-Savard Trade: A Career-Defining Move

It's March 22nd.

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In the summer of 1990, the Montreal-Canadian shocked the NHL by trading defensemen Chris

Chelios and a second round draft pick to the use.

Chicago Black Hawks for Center Dennis of Art.

Both players were fan favorites who had battled injuries that year, but the deal swapped a

rising star on defense for a flashy playmaker up front.

It caught everyone off guard from fans to experts who sought as trading prime talent for a declining

veteran.

The Canadians chased Savard to bolster their center position and pressure opponents up

close, partly to fix a past draft for Gret when they passed on.

Him, a decade earlier, meanwhile the Black Hawks dealt with tension between Savard and

coach Mike Keenan, who benched him in the playoffs and wanted full control of the locker room.

Fans in both cities felt the sting of losing hometown heroes, and Montreal's front office

faced quick backlash for moving Cheerios right after his, arrest for a public disturbance.

The team's owners, Moulson Breweries, had a track record of lopsided deals like giving

away stars Patrick Roy in Rod Langway for little in return.

Chelios returned to a Chicago roots and exploded, winning two more Norris trophies as the

league's top defenseman in 1993 and 1996 while helping push the Black Hawks deep into

playoffs.

Savard though, managed just second or third line minutes in Montreal over three injury

plague seasons before heading back to Chicago to retire.

That trade reshaped legacies, proving how one move can swing careers and leave a franchise

questioning its choices for decades.