CHICAGO - Chris Chelios will make his debut with the Chicago Wolves on Friday night after signing with the American Hockey League club on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old defenceman had been skating with the Wolves, AHL affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Chelios has 25 NHL seasons under his belt and is looking to add to his total.

Teams can begin assessing what he has left Friday when the Wolves host the Manitoba Moose.

"I've got no goal, just keep playing," Chelios said last week after skating with the Wolves for the first time. "I'm not going to come out and jeopardize this team's success. It's a challenge. I want to see if I can play.

"My son's as old as some of these kids, but it's going to be fun. They're very respectful kids and I intend to have a good time with these guys."

A three-time Norris Trophy winner, Chelios leads all American-born players with 1,644 career NHL games, posting 948 points (185-763) and 2,891 penalty minutes with the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings (1999-2009).

"It is an honour for us to have him," Wolves general manager Wendell Young said in a release. "We are very excited to have someone of Chris' stature join our team. He will be an excellent example for our young players to watch, both on and off the ice."

Chelios joined the Wolves a day after the team fired coach Don Granato and assistant Jason Christie. Replacements were expected to be named Wednesday.

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With files from The Associated Press