Atlanta , Georgia ( CNN ) -- The only checks Chris Chelios should be concerned about are the ones he 's writing for his children 's college tuition , but instead he still has the next body check into the hockey boards on his mind . At 48 years old , Chelios is the oldest American and second oldest player ever to play professional hockey . The veteran of 26 seasons in the National Hockey League has won the Stanley Cup three times , once in Montreal , Quebec , and twice in Detroit , Michigan . Now , the Chicago , Illinois , native has been called up from the American Hockey League 's Chicago Wolves to the NHL 's Atlanta Thrashers . `` Hopefully I can provide a little bit of leadership with what I bring to the table , '' Chelios said . `` It is a black cloud over my head -- that 48 , '' he said . `` I got to go out on the ice and prove it . '' Chelios is 30 years older than his youngest teammate , Evander Kane . Six of his teammates were n't born when his NHL career began . Still , cracks about age do n't come up in the locker room . `` Most of the guys from my team have been pretty respectful that way , but I 'm so used to hearing it from the fans and from other teams that it does n't bother me , '' the defenseman said . Teammate Ron Hainsey said the jokes are minimal . `` You probably wo n't hear too many from these guys because he might start skating circles around guys here . '' Hainsey , like most of the Atlanta Thrashers , grew up watching Chelios play . `` He 's in as good of shape as anybody here , '' Hainsey said . `` It 's just simply incredible for his age . '' In his 9th NHL season , Hainsey has played in about 600 professional hockey games compared to Chelios ' 1,600 professional games . `` If there 's anybody who 's seen just about everything , he 's got to be the guy who 's it , '' Hainsey said . `` We 're going to soak up everything we can from him while he 's here . '' Chelios still plays hard , but he does n't play as many minutes as he did in his 20s . When he is on the ice , Hainsey said , Chelios seems to always be in the right place at the right time . `` I think I 'm a little smarter than the young guys , but they got their speed that makes up for the lack of smarts , '' Chelios said . Thrashers Head Coach John Anderson is just five years older than Chelios . `` He loves the game . He loves to play and it 's not about the money anymore . It 's about wanting to win and wanting to play , '' Anderson said . `` I was kidding our defense coach [ Todd ] Nelson , '' Anderson said . `` I said this is probably the last time in your whole career you 're going to get to coach somebody older than you . '' Chelios is married with four kids who live in the Detroit area . He has two daughters in high school , one son in college and another son heading to college soon . `` It 's been a pretty tough adjustment for me not being with them , '' Chelios said . Both of his sons play hockey . `` You know at some point I got to start watching them , '' he said . `` They 're sick of watching me . '' Chelios is four years away from reaching Gordie Howe 's record of playing in the NHL at age 52 , but says he wo n't break that record . `` He can have the record . He 's the greatest ever , '' Chelios said . `` The fact that I 've made it this far as an American , that says enough and I feel pretty good about that . '' While he looks at his time with the Thrashers as being his last shot at the NHL , he wo n't close the door on the possibility of another season . `` I think depending on what happens now , realistically , this could be it , '' he said . `` Who knows what could happen ? We get on a roll , things start going good , maybe I 'll get that urge to come back again . ''
Chris Chelios , 48 , is playing for the NHL 's Atlanta Thrashers . His hockey career began before some of his teammates were born . Score: 6 He says younger players are faster , but he plays smarter .