Chelios relishes role as Hawks' agitator

It's a role that often goes unnoticed, which is the whole point.

Because to be an effective agitator, subtlety is of the essence.

"You're not going to get away with too much," Blackhawksdefenseman Chris Chelios said. "If the referees don't see it, thecameras see it."Chelios was a victim of the latter on April 1 at Anaheim. Asthe players lined up for a faceoff, SportsChannel caught Cheliosputting his stick under the back of Paul Kariya's helmet and tippingit forward, temporarily turning out the lights on the Ducks' forward.Just a joke?"No. I was just trying to bother him," Chelios admitted. "Andit did bother him because he took a shot at me later in the game."You have to do something to throw him off his game. He scoredon a power play, but 5-on-5 he didn't do too much. I know he waslooking over his shoulder."Chelios has the reputation as someone who has opponents aroundthe league looking over their shoulders."When nobody likes you in the league, you know you're doing agood job," said Hawks forward Tony Amonte, a former New York Rangerwho knows what it's like to skate against Chelios. "He's a guy wholikes to compete."But Chelios commands more than apprehension in his opponents, hecommands respect."I don't consider Chris an agitator," said Brett Hull, whoseBlues visited the United Center Wednesday. "I have too much respectfor his game to call him an agitator."If you want to talk about an agitator, you're talking aboutguys who aren't very good but go out and fill that role. Chris is aguy who has the ability to play - whatever you want to call it -dirty, and that's agitating in itself, but he's not a guy who justgoes around yapping at you and giving you little jabs in the back.Those are the guys who are agitators; little weasly guys."It's not an ideal situation to have your best player be the teampest. But Chelios has been filling that role since he broke into theleague in 1983 with Montreal.Three Norris Trophies later, he's still filling that role. Someopponents call it dirty. His teammates call it competitive. Chelioscalls it hockey."It's a role, and every team needs role players," he said. "Ialways have (filled that role)."I've tried to cut down on penalties the last couple of years,but I still like to get under people's skin. And I know I do."The agitator usually does his work behind the play when all eyesare on the puck.Calgary's Theo Fleury kicked the Hawks' Alex Zhamnov during agame Sunday. There was no penalty to Fleury, and to Zhamnov'scredit, there was no retaliation penalty.That's the point of agitating a top player. Not only does itresult in a power play, but it's a power play with the star in thebox.The Blackhawks are bound to face an agitator in the first roundof the playoffs, assuming they qualify. Colorado's Claude Lemieux isone of the most notorious agitators in the NHL, and Dallas' ToddHarvey also makes opponents wary."Everybody knows what their intentions are," Amonte said. "Youjust have to control your emotions and be aware of them before you goon the ice."Once in a while they get a guy to lose his mind a little bitand get a penalty."It's part of the game, and it's part of Chelios' personality."It's an intimidation factor," Chelios said.