Height 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) Name Nikos Tselios Career end 2007 Shot Left Role Ice hockey player Positions Defenseman | Playing career Weight 103 kg Played for Carolina Hurricanes Website Ultimate Hockey Camps Career start 1996 | |
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Born January 20, 1979 (age 45)
Glen Ellyn, IL, USA ( 1979-01-20 ) NHL Draft 22nd overall, 1997
Carolina Hurricanes | ||
Nikos Tselios (Greek: Νίκος Τσέλιος; born January 20, 1979) is a former American professional ice hockey defenseman. Tselios was the first draft pick in the Carolina Hurricanes history when he was selected 22nd overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
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Playing career
Tselios made his NHL debut with the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2001–02 season, playing two games. Those would be the only NHL games he would play as he spent the next four seasons playing in the minor leagues. In October 2005, Tselios signed with KalPa of the Finnish SM-liiga and played with them until January 31, 2006, when he moved to Swedish Färjestads BK. He scored his first goal at Färjestad on March 25 in the semifinal of the Swedish Championship against HV 71. He then played in the United Hockey League with the Chicago Hounds before returning to Sweden, signing with HK Örebro in the Swedish First Division, the country's third-tier level.
Personal
Nikos is a cousin of long-time NHL defenseman Chris Chelios. Nikos also tried for the ELLAS Greece National Team in the 2006. Nikos early childhood summers were spent in Greece on the island of Evia. Nikos and cousin Chris, spent summers playing ball hockey in their parents village of Farakla. They joke about this at family gatherings today in Chicago, as their cousins in Evia, Greece, continue to play ball hockey in a country where soccer reigns. Their uncle George Spartalis (Chris Chelios mother's brother)who lives on the Island, runs a small inter ball hockey league today where 4 teams compete. Trifonia Spartalis, Evia's mayor, finds the spirit of the game to be more exciting than the local soccer clubs which gather more attendance.
Tselios now owns and operates an instructional hockey business entitled Ultimate Hockey Camps, and resides in Winfield, Illinois with his personal assistant, Joe Renzi and his chauffeur, Jesse Ratzloff.