Blackhawks to retire Chelios' No. 7, as reported by ... Eddie Vedder?

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder broke some Blackhawks news on Thursday night during his band's concert at the United Center: The team will retire Chris Chelios' No. 7 in a pregame ceremony next year.

Vedder announced the news not only to the thousands of fans in attendance, but to Chelios himself. The band brought the legendary defenseman onstage shortly after Vedder led a "Rocky" chant in tribute to former team owner Rocky Wirtz, who died on July 25.

Chelios, a Chicago native who came to the Blackhawks from Montreal in a 1990 trade, was team captain from 1995 until 1999, when he was traded to Detroit.

The Blackhawks will play against the Red Wings on Feb. 25, 2024, when Chelios' jersey will be raised to the rafters. He won two of his three Stanley Cups in Detroit. The other came in Montreal - with the Hawks, Chelios only made it to the Stanley Cup Final once, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992.

Chelios scored 185 goals among his 948 points in a 26-year NHL career. He won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman three times, twice as a Blackhawk.