New coaches put Wolves, Chelios through the paces

Chris Chelios got a coy look on his face when asked about skating for the first time under new Wolves head coach Don Lever and assistant Ron Wilson.

"I'm just trying to figure out if I played against them and if I did something wrong back in '84 or '85," he said with a smile. "I hope to God I didn't."

"He just did," Lever said after running his first practice as head coach, an extended two-hour bruiser at Allstate Arena. "He slashed me."

All part of the Wolves' getting-to-know-you party, which continued Wednesday.

A day after Chelios signed a 25-game deal with the team, Lever and Wilson were introduced as replacements for fired coach Don Granato and assistant Jason Christie.

Lever (Lee-vur) becomes the seventh coach in Wolves history and brings 20 years of pro coaching experience with him, including winning the Calder Cup in 2007 as head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs. He was also an NHL assistant coach with Buffalo, St. Louis and Montreal. Before taking the Wolves' job he was serving as a pro scout for the Blackhawks.

"I'm very excited," said Lever, a former first-round draft pick and veteran of 1,020 NHL games. "It's nice to be back coaching - I'm looking forward to it. But right now I've got to worry about winning games."

Although the next few weeks will be a learning process, the coaches know where to focus most with the 1-5 Wolves.

"First of all you've got to worry about your own end - that's where we're going to start first," Lever said. "I know we have enough offense, but we've got to start playing like a team defensively."

The players understand.

"It was a rough start (to the season)," said right wing Spencer Machacek. "We had a good first practice today, a lot of energy and all the guys are pretty excited."

Even after two hours on the ice?

"I didn't even notice," he said. "The first couple of practices are always pretty long to get to know the systems."

"The tempo is upbeat," Chelios added. "Everyone knows there has been some changes made and now it's up to the guys to go out there and do what they're told."

Chelios figures to get plenty of ice time in his debut Friday at home against Manitoba (7:30 p.m.). Despite being 47, the veteran defenseman has shown he's in fabulous shape and Lever and Co. are eager to see how that translates in game situations.

"We're going to find out," Lever said. "He lasted two hours today, so we'll see. We brought him in and signed him to play him, so we're going to find out in a hurry.

"He's still the smartest player out on the ice, I'll tell you that."

And he still is as excited about playing the game as he was as a rookie with Montreal eons ago.

"It's great to be back in Chicago and to get the opportunity," Chelios said. "It's a real challenge for me. I just want to fit in and contribute. Things haven't been going well and there's been a coaching change - it's going to be exciting.

"I can't wait to play the game and not worry about anything else."

But why continue to put yourself through all the pain to play a young man's game?

"Like they say: no brain, no headache," Chelios said. "I'm just going to keep going. As long as I'm enjoying playing and helping the team out, that's all that matters."