Bruins hire Zdeno Chara as hockey operations advisor and mentor
The Boston Bruins have brought former captain Zdeno Chara back into their organization under the title of hockey operations advisor and mentor, the club announced Thursday morning.
According to a statement released by the Bruins on Thursday, Chara’s primary responsibilities in his new role include “building relationships and strengthening communication between players and coaches, attending practices and home games, and providing off-ice development support to defensemen.”
Chara, 48, remains the tallest person ever to play in the NHL, having stood a towering 6’9″ throughout his impressive career. The Slovak defender spent the majority of his time in the NHL with the Bruins, signing with the club as an unrestricted free agent in 2006 and remaining there until 2020.
“The Bruins organization is excited and proud to welcome back Zdeno,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said Thursday. “In his role as an advisor and mentor, Zdeno will share with our players and coaches his experience as a dedicated athlete, a respected leader and one of the NHL’s all-time greats.”
Big Zee back around the B's 💪
📰: https://t.co/g0tcmssV9r pic.twitter.com/LfM3R5XwDv
The Bruins named Chara captain immediately after he arrived in Boston, and he became one of the only European captains to hoist the Stanley Cup when he led the team past the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Final. One of the NHL’s most durable and fearsome players throughout his career, Chara ultimately appeared parts of 24 seasons and 1,680 games — the most by a defenseman in league history.
Originally selected by the New York Islanders in the second round of the 1996 NHL Draft, Chara spent the first four seasons of his NHL career on Long Island before being traded to the Ottawa Senators as part of the blockbuster Alexei Yashin deal. Chara blossomed into a star in Ottawa, but the Sens had to let him go in order to retain another top blueliner in Wade Redden.
As Redden declined over the next few seasons, Chara continued to develop into one of the league’s top defenders after signing with the Bruins. Renowned for his slap shot power, Chara set multiple hardest shot records at the annual NHL All-Star skills competition during his time in Boston. He topped 50 points on three separate occasions during his Bruins tenure.
Chara remained in the NHL well into his 40s, finishing his career on one-year deals with the Washington Capitals and the Islanders. After coming full circle with his original team in the 2021-22 campaign, Chara announced his retirement at age 45 and signed a one-day contract with the Bruins to finish his career with the club.