Chris Chelios, a retired ice hockey player, is asking $75 million for his beachside Malibu mansion.
Public documents show that Mr. Chelios, who left the NHL in 2010, purchased the $6 million home in 2003 with his wife Tracee Chelios. The Malibu property has long been used as a retreat for the couple and their four adult children, according to Mr. Chelios, who claimed that the family primarily resides in his hometown of Chicago.
The property, which is situated in the upscale Paradise Cove neighborhood, consists of a four-bedroom main house on a cliff overlooking the beach that is connected by a private stairway to a one-bedroom guest bungalow closer to the sand. The guesthouse level, according to Mr. Chelios, features three sizable terraces for socializing, dining, and stargazing. One of them has a barrel sauna and a hot tub.
The tri-level main house was built in the 1980s and has 3,795 square feet, according to the listing with Chris Cortazzo of Compass. It boasts high ceilings, skylights, a fireplace, and an exterior-facing wall of windows. A loft-style bedroom with seaside views on the top floor.
Mr. Chelios said his love affair with Malibu began in the mid-1990s while he was playing for the Chicago Blackhawks. He claims he met actor Tony Danza during a game versus the Los Angeles Kings. Mr. Danza, who resided in Malibu, praised the merits of living in the seaside town, which piqued Mr. Chelios’ interest. He and his wife decided to explore around and eventually ended up renting a property in Malibu. Despite the fact that they were constantly transferred due to his hockey profession, they went on to purchase two homes there and spent summers on the beach with the family.
“There were no distractions” in Malibu, Mr. Chelios said.
He learnt that a huge property in Paradise Cove was going on the market in the early 2000s, so he enquired. It turned out that the vendor was a buddy of a friend who preferred his offer to others. According to Mr. Chelios, “He gave me the deal of the century.” Over the past ten years, he and his wife steadily upgraded the main house by replacing the windows and bedrooms and adding more contemporary fixtures.
The family spends the majority of their time outside in Malibu, according to the hockey veteran. He and two of his children surf, so they frequently paddle up to Point Dume, a popular spot for waves. He also enjoys the sunrises, which he describes as “bright red” in the mornings.
Mr. Chelios added that the Chelioses are selling the property since they are now grandparents and want to be closer to their children for vacation. They’re also thinking about buying a comparable house on Lake Michigan.
According to Mr. Cortazzo, Mr. Chelios lives in “Billionaires’ Bluff,” which is home to some of Malibu’s most magnificent and sought-after homes. One of Mr. Chelios’s neighbors, for example, just sold a property for $91 million. Other recent transactions include a $100 million purchase in 2022 by media mogul Byron Allen and a $177 million purchase in 2021 by venture capitalist Marc Andreessen.
Mr. Chelios said he can’t believe how much property values in Malibu have risen since he bought there. “I never thought this would happen in a million years,” he said.
Mr. Cortazzo attributed some of the increase in value in Malibu to the emergence of a new foreign buyer pool for Malibu homes. “Malibu is gaining a lot of international attention,” he says.
As one of the players with the longest careers in the NHL, Mr. Chelios, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, played for the Blackhawks as well as the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Atlanta Thrashers. Since his playing career came to an end, he has worked as a coach and pundit.
