‘I really enjoy coming to the rink every day': Chiarot re-signs three year-contract, happy to keep calling Detroit home

DETROIT -- Locking up a key veteran presence on the back end, the Detroit Red Wings announced they re-signed Ben Chiarot to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3.85 million on Wednesday morning.

“The team, first of all, and what goes on out on the ice,” Chiarot said when asked about his decision to re-up with the Red Wings following practice at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center that same afternoon. “The people here -- trainers, equipment staff, guys on the team, coaches, everybody. I really enjoy coming to the rink every day. It made it really easy to come back here. We love Detroit. My family’s really happy here. From all angles, it was a no-brainer.”

More than halfway through his fourth campaign with the Red Wings, the 34-year-old defenseman has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) along with a plus-1 rating and has averaged the third-most ice time (21:07) in 54 games.

“It’s a first-class organization,” Chiarot said. “Starts at the top with the Ilitches right on down through Steve, the coaching staff and trainers who have been here for a long time. They’ve been here when the team was at its peak and through the low years here, and the team’s well on its way back up. The people surrounding the organization are top notch.”

A hard-nosed defenseman with 777 career games already under his belt, Chiarot was originally selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the fourth round (No. 120 overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and suited up with three different clubs -- the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens -- before joining the Red Wings as a free agent on July 13, 2022.

Head coach Todd McLellan praised the “experience, size, some physicality, veteran leadership” that Chiarot provides to the squad.

“A lot of things that the everyday fan sees on the ice, that’s what we see too,” McLellan said. “But then there’s auxiliary stuff behind the scenes that’s been pretty stabilizing. I believe we just talked about him working with young defensemen and trying to help bring them along – he’s done a good job of that. We’re happy to have him.”

Chiarot said he enjoys having a mentorship role in Detroit’s dressing room.

“I think just naturally over time, being a guy with experience and younger players coming in behind you, you try and lend your experiences with them,” Chiarot said. “And naturally, you sort of just become the older guy, kind of imparting a little bit of what you know onto them. It’s just been a natural process just by being one of the older guys with more experience.”

Chiarot could’ve become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but the Hamilton, Ontario, native said Detroit has become home for him and his family.

“What’s the upside of leaving somewhere that you’re really happy and your family is really happy?” Chiarot asked rhetorically. “All the bases were covered here. On the ice, it’s a great place to play. Off the ice, a great place to live. Before playing here, you don’t know how great a spot Detroit is to play, and you can see why all these great players have spent their entire careers here. It’s clear to me why, and I’m happy to do the same and stay here for a long time.”

Chiarot added that helping 10-year-old Anderson Shaughnessy fulfill his Make-A-Wish dream made Wednesday a pretty special day.

Shaughnessy, who has a rare genetic disorder known as Hurler’s Syndrome, plays adaptive hockey using an assisted walker. Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Trinity Health, the young hockey player watched practice from the bench before joining the team on the ice afterwards.

“Those kids are so excited to get out there with an NHL team,” Chiarot said. “You can only imagine being that age and getting to skate with professional hockey players, so it’s always fun.”