By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
Earlier this week, the Hockey Hall of Fame announced that former Boston Bruins captain and Stanley Cup champion Zdeno Chara will be part of the 2025 induction class. Chara was selected in his first year of eligibility.
As one of the best defensemen in the National Hockey League’s history, the six-foot-nine Czechoslovakian logged 1,680 regular-season games with the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, and Washington Capitals. He amassed 209 goals, 471 assists, and 2,085 penalty minutes.
He was an all-star on seven occasions, won the 2009 Norris Trophy Award as the best defenseman in the NHL, and helped bring Lord Stanley back to Boston when he captained the 2011 Bruins to a championship season.
Boston fans will forever be grateful to Chara for helping restore the Bruins’ proud hockey tradition. When he signed a five-year deal worth $37.5 million with the Bruins in the summer of 2006, Boston was coming off a 29-37-16 record, which saw them finish last in the Northeast Division.
In his second year dawning the “C” on his Spoked-B sweater, Chara would help lead Boston back to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Bruins would spend the next six years icing competitive playoff teams, reaching two Stanley Cup finals, winning it all in 2011, and helping rekindle New England’s love for hockey.
After two years of missing the playoffs in the middle portion of the 2010s, Chara showed the next young wave of Bruins players what it took to be a professional on and off the ice. He would lead Boston to four straight postseason births from 2017 through 2020, including an incredible playoff run in 2019 when the Bruins reached the Finals and had game seven at TD Garden.
On the ice, Chara was one of the most feared defensemen of his era. He made opponents often think twice about dumping the puck into his corner. A fierce competitor if there ever were one, Chara would never shy away from blocking a shot, sticking up for his teammates, or burying a defender into the glass.
Offensively, he had a rocket of a slapshot and great vision. An often underrated part of his game, Chara hit the 50-point plateau three times as a Bruin.
But his impact was much more than his contribution on the ice. He was a pillar of the community. Whether delivering food to those in need during the Thanksgiving season or visiting children’s hospitals during Christmas time, Chara understood what it meant to represent the Bruins franchise on and off the ice.
As Boston’s captain, he tried to break down the labels that can often splinter a professional sports locker room. He did not like using the term “rookie,” as he saw it as an unnecessary distinction. Chara preferred referring to any Bruin player as a teammate, regardless of their career achievements or age. He also disagreed with hazing young players, as he did not appreciate what he endured early in his career.
Boston will never forget Chara wildly swinging the Stanley Cup around in pure euphoria after besting the Vancouver Canucks in 2011. That will certainly define his career as a Bruin. But that was not the only iconic moment of his Black and Gold tenure.
Chara forever engrained himself into New England sports lore by standing on the ice with a broken jaw during player introductions before game five of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. The Garden faithful showed their appreciation with a full-throated avalanche of cheers.
Despite Boston eventually falling short to the St. Louis Blues, that night highlighted Chara’s sheer determination and will to win, which was evident throughout his NHL career. He was the driving force behind the Bruins’ turnaround and kick-started one of the most successful eras in franchise history. In November, Chara will officially be a Hockey Hall of Fame member, but his Bruins legacy has already been solidified.
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