Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára (born March 18, 1977 in Trenčín, Czechoslovakia) is a former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played a total of 24 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, and Washington Capitals. He served as the captain of the Bruins from 2006 until 2020.[1] Chára played hockey in the WHL for 1 season with the Prince George Cougars. He is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL, measuring in at 6 ft 9 (2.06 m).
Zdeno Chára | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Trenčín, Czechoslovakia | 18 March 1977||
Height | 6 ft 9 in (206 cm) | ||
Weight | 250 lb (113 kg; 17 st 12 lb) | ||
Position | Defence | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for |
Sparta Praha New York Islanders Dukla Trenčín Ottawa Senators Färjestad BK Boston Bruins Lev Praha Washington Capitals | ||
National team | Slovakia | ||
NHL Draft |
56th overall, 1996 New York Islanders | ||
Playing career | 1996–2022 |
On March 8, 2011, He was involved in an on-ice incident when he hit Montreal Canadiens player Max Pacioretty into the stanchion at the end of the bench in the boards. Pacioretty had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher and he suffered a severe concussion and a non-displaced fracture to the 4th vertebra. Chara received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct. The NHL VP of hockey operations Mike Murphy decided that no further punishment was going to be warranted. Despite this a criminal investigation was announced by the Montreal police[2]
On September 20, 2022, Chára announced that he was retiring from professional hockey. He retired as a member of the Bruins after signing a one-day contract with them.[3]
Chára is married to his wife Tatiana Biskupicová and they have one daughter named Elliz Victoria Chára.
Awards
change- He played in the NHL All-Star Game in 2003, 2007, 2008 (starter), 2009, 2011, and 2012. Chára was also one of the team captains in the 2012 game.
- He was named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 2004 and 2009.
- He was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 2006 and 2008.
- He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2009.
- He won the Hardest Shot competition at the NHL All-Star Game SuperSkills Competition in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011 where he set a record of 105.9 mph (170.4 km/hr).
- He won the NHL Plus-Minus Award in 2011 with a +33 rating.
- He won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011.
References
changeOther websites
change- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database