Caley Chelios (born 1993) is a reporter and studio analyst for the Chicago Blackhawks, and former reporter/radio color commentator for the Tampa Bay Lightning. She has made a number of appearances on the NHL Network and ESPN.[1]
Caley Chelios | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993 (age 30–31) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University |
| Occupation(s) | Sports journalist, color commentator |
Early life
editShe was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father is Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios. Her brothers Dean and Jake Chelios also played hockey for Michigan State University, and Jake briefly played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). She also has a younger sister named Tara, who like herself, played lacrosse at Northwestern.[2]
College
editShe accepted a lacrosse scholarship from Northwestern University. She played for four years on the women's lacrosse team and captured an NCAA National Championship in her freshman year and went on to make three consecutive final four appearances.[3] She studied communications and sociology.[4] She entered the Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism where she received her Master's degree. She had the opportunity to report on many different sporting events including the 2016 NHL Winter Classic and 2016 NFL Draft while in grad school.
Career
editChelios joined the Tampa Bay Lightning as a reporter beginning in the 2016–17 NHL season. She added color commentary duties in her third season with the team during road games. In 2021, she joined NBC Sports to cover the Isobel Cup playoffs.[5] After her husband's retirement from the NFL and the Lightning winning their second straight Stanley Cup, Chelios stepped down from the Lightning after five seasons to focus on her growing family and moving to Chicago.[6][7] Prior to the 2021–22 season, she joined the Chicago Blackhawks broadcast team as a studio analyst and color commentator.[8][9][10][11] She joined ESPN's coverage of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs as a reporter.[12]
Personal life
editShe is of Greek descent.[13] She met Danny Vitale while both were attending Northwestern University. They were married in Chicago in the summer of 2019.[14] The guest list included Eddie Vedder, John Cusack, and Kid Rock.[15] He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2016 NFL draft in the sixth round. He played for the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots in four seasons before retiring in 2021. She announced in January 2020 that she and Danny were expecting their first child in April 2020, and that she would miss out on the remaining road trips for the rest of the 2019–20 NHL season. She gave birth to a daughter, Isabella. In September 2021, the couple had their second child; a son named Danny and announced that she will not return to Tampa Bay.[16][17][6][7][18] On February 27, 2024, she gave birth to her third child, and second daughter, named Sofia; 48 hours after the retirement ceremony of her father's No. 7 jersey by the Chicago Blackhawks.[19]
References
edit- ^ Erik Erlendsson. "Caley Chelios out to blaze her own path along the hockey trail with Tampa Bay Lightning". lightninginsider.com. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- ^ Philip Hersh (22 April 2015). "Chris Chelios' lacrosse-playing daughters: 'tough and mean'". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "Caley Chelios NU profile". nusports.com. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
- ^ "Welcome Caley Chelios, new Lightning reporter". NHL.com. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- ^ Sean Leahy (26 March 2021). "Minnesota Whitecaps vs. Connecticut Whale: NWHL Isobel Cup semifinal on NBCSN". nbcsports.com. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
- ^ a b Caley Chelios and Bryan Burns (27 August 2021). "In their own words: Caley Chelios says goodbye". nhl.com. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ a b Faiello, Mari (August 27, 2021). "Lightning's Caley Chelios resigns to focus on growing family". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ^ "RELEASE: Blackhawks Announce Broadcast and Content Team for 2021–22". nhl.com. 29 September 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
- ^ Powers, Scott. "Blackhawks broadcaster Caley Chelios is paving her own path in the NHL". The Athletic. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ^ "Chicago Blackhawks aim for stability with new broadcast teams, but they're also ready to 'spice it up'". Chicago Tribune. 2023-10-09. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ^ "RELEASE: Blackhawks Announce Broadcast Team and 2023-24 Broadcast Schedule | Chicago Blackhawks". www.nhl.com. 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ^ Bryan Murphy (2 May 2022). "How to watch the 2022 NHL playoffs on ESPN, TNT". sportingnews.com. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Caley Chelios interviewing her dad for the first time in his career". thegreekobserver.com. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- ^ "Caley Chelios, daughter of former Blackhawk Chris, marries Danny Vitale, who played at Northwestern before joining the Packers". chicagotribune.com. 19 July 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ Lindsay Kimble. "Green Bay Packers' Danny Vitale Marries Caley Chelios in 'Magical' Chicago Wedding". people.com. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ Falkner, Mark. "Caley Chelios' NHL broadcasting career 'kick-started' by father Chris' advice". detroitnews.com. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ Nearhos, Diana C. (March 9, 2020). "Lightning's Caley Chelios is pregnant, won't be calling games". tampabay.com. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ Myers, Tracey. "Chelios talks balancing motherhood, broadcast career in Q&A with NHL.com". NHL.com. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ Aditi, Abhilasha (February 28, 2023). "Chris Chelios' daughter Caley announces birth of her third child only 48 hours after her father's jersey retirement". Retrieved March 2, 2024.