Chelios on ice for a goal ... against Atlanta

Tribune News Services

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Chris Chelios, the 48-year-old defenseman who has starred for Montreal, Chicago and Detroit, made his debut for the Thrashers after being called up on Wednesday from the Wolves of the AHL.

He figured into the first goal of the game -- in a bad way.

The Blue Jackets scored first for the 11th time in their last 12 games when R.J. Umberger picked up his 20th on the power play at 6:36 of the first. He took a pass from Huselius and, from a hard angle to the right of the goal cage, he flipped the puck toward the net. Chelios went to one knee to block it, but the puck ricocheted toward goalie Johan Hedberg and slipped between his leg pads.

"It's like a playoff game," said Chelios, who has played in hundreds of them. "You see how one goal can be the difference."

Check out the box score: Played 13:14 and took 1 shot.