Zdeno Chara was the best free agent signing in Boston Bruins history
On Tuesday afternoon, Zdeno Chara signed a one-day contract with the Boston Bruins. The legendary Bruins defenseman retired with the team ending his stellar and eventually Hall of Fame career.
Chara changed the culture the second he signed with the Bruins back in 2006. At the time, Chara signed what was considered a massive five-year, $37.5 million deal.
The Slovakian born player was named captain upon singing with Boston. He was the third Slovakia-born player to be named captain in the NHL.
The 6-foot-9 defenseman played 24 seasons in the NHL and 14 seasons in Boston.
During his time with the Bruins, Chara helped transform the Bruins into a regular contender.
Big Zee helped lead the Bruins to 11 postseason appearances. “You need to have a culture. You need to have players that want to follow. It wasn't just me. It was a team effort,” said Chara at his retirement press conference.
“I would never have done it without Patrice. I would never have done it without Brad coming in and following what Patrice did. New guys stepping in, willing to come from different teams and adjust to that culture. We pushed each other. We were practicing as hard as we could against each other, but we were still OK with it. We set goals. Slowly and surely, we were climbing and making these steps. But without the culture and without somebody basically putting their foot down that this is how it’s going to be, yeah, it was hard at the beginning.
“It was not easy. Not everybody wanted to change. But it was necessary. I felt it was necessary for this organization and for this team to make that change.”
He won the Norris Trophy back in 2009, the award given to the best defenseman.
Chara scored 19 goals and 50 points while averaging more than 26 minutes in 80 games during that Norris Trophy season. He also finished eighth in Hart Trophy voting that year.
The defenseman provided memorable moments from hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head in 2011. He recorded his first career hat trick against the Hurricanes back in 2011. Fans will never forget him playing in Game 5 of the 2019 Stanley Cup final following breaking his jaw during Game 4.
Chara was a great player, he was a leader for the Boston Bruins. The 45-year-old finishes his career with 209 goals and 680 points in 1,680 games. His legacy will forever be etched in stone and his No. 33 will some day hang in the rafters at the T.D. Garden.
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