The Career of Zdeno Chara 

Chara is the second-last player from the 1990s in any of the major North American professional sports leagues. Joe Thornton is now the last 90s player, and the last NHL player to have played an NHL game against Wayne Gretzky!

The unfortunate thing about Chara is that his Norris caliber play was mostly during the reign of Lidstrom

Watching Z play in 2019 SCF with that broken jaw is a memory I’ll never forget.

Good thing he didn't have another season, almost ran out of whiteboard!

HoF first ballot. Dude was DOMINANT for a long time.

I remember going in to the Sens locker room in the early 00’s and seeing Chara’s equipment. As a kid I was blown away by the size of his skates and stick. He was a larger than life player with an unbelievable fitness regime and leadership prowess. Congrats on a hell of a career. There will only be one “Zdeno Chara”

Got to meet him with my grandfather for a birthday present to him. One of the kindest and most humble people. On ice, he's one of a kind. Thank you Big Z for the cup runs and enjoy your time with family!

January 1st 2010; I was selected to drop the Ceremonial Puck for Bobby Clarke and Bobby Orr at the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park in Boston. It was an amazing day and experience to say the least. As I walked down the red carpet to center ice I looked to my right and say Chris Pronger of the Flyers, super huge and impressive, but then I looked over to my left. WOW; Chara was gigantic! He is 6-9 without skates, he is over 7 ft tall with them on! What a day that I will never ever forget

Legend....fun fact.....Chara is 1. In games as a defensmen but not as forward however when you take Charas huge ice time in games during his carrier. He is probably guy who spent the most on the ice in NHL history.

Definitely one of my favorite defensemen all-time. What a legend and it’ll be criminal if he’s not in the Hall of Fame.

I think he totally understood his size and what he could do to people. Often times in the corners or when the gloves came off he never seemed to put as much raw force out there as he probably could have.

The guy is absolute pro and super nice guy off the ice. Lots of people hate him but you just got to have respect for the man. Great mentor, great lidership, outstanding work ethic and whole lotta work for comunity. Legend.

Helluva career. As a Habs fan I would take a certain 10 seconds out of it (THAT hit...) but overall a great D man. Terrifying slapshot, seemed like a solid human morally, and I congratulate him on a great career.

My fondest memory of Chara was him ragdolling McCabe. I'm glad I got to see him grow into a dominant player in Ottawa, and oh how things might have been different had he been kept instead of Redden.

I remember an image of him towering over Crosby in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals and he had this look where it was like he was telling Crosby "I will effing eat you". Enjoy your retirement Zdeno Chara, you had a hell of a career.

Thank you, Z 🖤💛 My favorite player by far. Broke my heart when he left the Bruins, but was glad to see him go to another team that would respect him. I'll miss watching him wherever he may be, but he'll be sticking around Boston for sure. Also should we read anything into him not mentioning Cassidy?

Hey Shannon! I watch your videos almost every day. I was looking for your take on PK Subban but found Chara instead. Awesome video! Hoping for a PK video too. Couldn’t believe it when I heard he was done.

I remember watching Zdeno Chara in Los Angeles for the first time and holy crap he was huge that was my reaction when I first saw him

Still remember him watching him ragdoll Bryan McCabe who was 6'2" and 223 lbs. The Sens had a tough choice between Redden and Chara, complicated by the fact that the first year after the lockout the rules were called much tighter and non-nimble players like Chara were somewhat disadvantaged. Of course, he adjusted, teams adjusted, and the rules enforcement was relaxed a bit. I don't think Chara would have signed with the Sens anyway. Muckler (the Sens GM) had screwed over Hossa (a fellow Slovak) by signing him to an extension and then trading him away. That was a major dick move right there. The Sens might have effectively lost Chara right then and there.

Saw him play in Louisville, when he played for Lexington. Never thought that big awkward guy would go on to the career he had. Always a testament to hard work. Onto the HOF!

Here in Ottawa we'll always wonder what might have been if they'd chosen Chara and Hossa instead of Redden and Heatley.

Let us not forget his international career. Played in 7 world championships, 3 olympics and 2 world cups and I think he still has a lot left to give to Slovakian hockey :)

Cool video. Chara, legend and classy guy. We are proud of him. Probably with Marian Hossa, Peter Stastny and if you want to count him, Stan Mikita, historically best Slovakian player. Greetings from Slovakian🇸🇰 (in Finland).🤙

I saw Chara play for the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters in 1998. He looked so gangly and uncoordinated on the ice. Never could have imagined he'd become a Norris Trophy winner, captain of a Cup champion, and probable 1st-ballot Hall of Famer. I thought his ceiling was *maybe* becoming the NHL's version of Shawn Bradley or Manute Bol.

When the Bruins signed Chara to a long term contract I thought it a huge mistake. I thought there was no way a player of that size could stay healthy. Zero chance his knees could hold up. So very happy to have been wrong.

The dude had a 100+ MPH slapshot!

I remember like 4 years ago you were talking about wanting to go to a Canucks Bruins game cause it might be the last time you get to see Chara play

I watched Chara play in Prince George and to see how far he grew as a skater from those days is incredible! He wasn’t going to be denied. He was tough as nails and cleaned out the whos who of WHL tough guys during his junior career, but nobody could have predicted he’d even make the NHL, let alone play until the age of 45 👏

They laughed at him at Sparta Prague, go play basketball they said, we dont have skates your size.. Agent Henyš, a legend among early Czech/Slovak NHLers, saw the potential, understood the American love for records and bet on getting Zdeno into the NHL just on the idea that he would be the tallest player drafted to that date. Two decades later, I dont hear anyone laughing anymore, the guy has become a living legend, one of the best on-ice/off-ice leaders of the past decade+.. I once chatted with Ales Kotalik (he comes from the same town, had a couple of decent seasons in Buffalo, Sabres fans may remember him, kinda faded out later), I asked him who was the toughest defender he ever played against in the NHL, was naively expecting Lidstrom or someone like that, he didnt even hesitate and said Chara, strong like a bear plus that condor reach, still quite mobile for a guy of his size, nearly impossible to beat 1 on 1 in his prime. His summer work-outs were also legendary, I mean the guy climbed the Kilimanjaro and cycled the full route of Tour de France as a part of his summer prep. Nothing but respect, Hall of Fame awaits.

A guy that tall who can skate, make plays and knows how to use that size is lethal in any era. I had hoped as a Canucks fan that Tryamkin would develop into that kind of player, or at least a lesser version of that, but it wasn't to be. The guy could burn you at one end and basically be a rock in front of his goalie at the other. Even when he didn't have the scoring anymore, he was still a really effective player into his 40s because he was so smart and knew where to be on the ice.

I watched him play for the Prince George Cougars when I was kid. I feel old.

It's always interesting when a player is more well associated with a team he didn't play for until almost a decade into his career. The series of trades and signings that lead to it and the way the player grows ya know

Zdeno Chára is after all 45+ years old so it is not a suprise to see him retire despite he could for sure have continued his hockey career over seas in any European league. Been a professional player since 1997 = 24 NHL seasons + 2 AHL seasons + 1 KHL season + 1 SHL season + games in Slovakian league and Czech league so he have had a very long and sucsesfull career. He have secured a Hall of Fame place with all his merits. PK Subban retire at just 33 years old after only about 12 years in NHL? That came from nowhere in my opinion. He will not be in HOF for a long time to come as his career and achivements was not that many. Many more players have accomplished a heck lot of more and still not in there.

The first player to be able to hang the banner in the rafters by himself. (Wish I thought of this one.)

"6 foot 9 and he's a ballerina" -Jack Edwards

Thank you Z 💛🖤💛🖤 got to meet him and his family 2 times and I got one of his huge hockey sticks he’s such a great and nice guy

Capitals legend.

I still can’t believe that Joe Thornton is the last player to play in the 90s currently playing in the NHL. Last of the ENTIRE 20th century.

If I remember correctly it was the stanchion that caused most of that injury on the Pacioretty. hit That's why it got changed

I was surprised that not one, but _two_ significant names in the NHL retired today. I wonder if there's any reason why it happened me today, or just a coincidence? If anyone is wondering what I'm talking about, PK Subban also retired today.

Easily one of my favorite players! Toughness, defensive, leadership, and champion. Thank you Big Z!!

As a bruins fan, chara was my favorite. What a monster he was. What makes him more special to me was my first bruins game I ever went to. It was a 7-0 victory against the canes where chara scored his first hat trick. It was a memorable moment. Being in the crowd and hearing them scream shoot shoot when he had 2 and watching the puck go in for the third was amazing. Watching him lift the Stanley Cup so high in 2011 was also great. Shame he didn’t win more.

Great career, Chara was big in many ways, admirable character. I've sometimes wondered if he could have been a difference maker in the 07 run Sens had. Hard to tell but I'm happy for him he got to win in 11, much deserved.

what a ride. Big Z will be remembered for ever.

I may have a major dislike for the Boston Bruins, but I always had a lot of respect for Zdeno Chara. One of the best defensemen I've ever seen play the game and was an absolute class act. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be a first ballot hall of famer when he is eligible. Congrats on a great career Big Z!

I'm 6'5" and while everyone else on the ice gets the same lift from the skates, it really feels like the difference becomes greater. It's just hard to fathom a guy that tall being that well balanced and agile for so long. He really was a freak of nature. As much as I hated his guts I feel blessed to have watched his career. Hope he has a long and happy retirement.

Looking at the board it's odd to see how little of his career was in Ottawa. It felt like he was there much longer, I guess because that's when he made his mark.

I remember when he pulled bergy out of a scrum when Bs played the Caps. even playing for another squad, he protected his Brother Patrice.

One of my favorite players of all time

"The New York Islanders want something a little more flashy." The instant you said that, I started laughing hysterically. It's like everyone else who has ever analyzed that trade has said - why not just wait? Although I'll offer up this alternative - why not blow up your player development group? The Islanders had all these amazing young talents in their grasp in this era, but never capitalized on any of them. Even if you think Milbury jumped the gun (and both that and this may be true), four years was a nice runway for Chara, and he was regressing by the end of it. That could have been a symptom of poor player development, which wouldn't be a surprising problem for a team teetering on the brink to have. (This is the biggest recurring theme in Eris-Zona through all the turmoil and turnover, which seems to be why they never have real depth.)

As a Canucks fan who remembers 2011 well……congrats on a great career, Big Z!

Really thought, and would have liked to see, Big Z play at least another season and shoot for all time games played. Such a well rounded player. Great career! 1st ballot HOFer IMHO 👍👍

Shannon's bb sweater is dope

Awesome up there with the best of his era

As usual another fantastic video on a fantastic player. I did not see Chara play much on tv. I remember him from a 60 minutes interview he did I forget how many years ago. Tow things I got from that interview folks. Please feel free to correct me. One he had 4% body fact. Two, He could speak at least 4 languages.

And just like that the title of "Big Z" has officially passed down* to Zadorov 😜 Kinda bummed to see Chara go but not surprised. Always blew my mind how well that giraff played! Lol.. Seriously though; he was a hell of a player to watch whenever my team played him. Hope he enjoy his retirement and it treats him well.

He was a gentle giant and a beast on the back end I hope he works with Boston as an ambassador

Corey Perry is the new active PIM leader with 1285 PIM, though Simmonds, Lucic, and Wilson are all very close.

The Yashin trade looked good for 2 seasons. The Islanders did make almost a 50-point turn around the next season and started their season off 11-0-1 with Yashin. Sure, he ended up being slower than a traffic cone at the end of his career, but at the time Milbury did alright. (Diehard Isles fan, it pains me to defend Milbury but this trade looked good to anyone in hockey at least initially)

Moral of the story: don't give up a first and a prospect for a star player from Ottawa. It WILL bite you in the butt soon enough

What's crazy is he is old enough to have been drafted in 1995

I remember the first time he played detroit. He got in a tilt with Larry Murphy and you just knew this kid was incredibly unique. Sad to see him go.

I always wanted to see a battle of the Titans. Chara vs Byfuglien imagine them throwing chunky soup cans (their fists) at each other?!? Chara one of the best big men to ever play the game. Especially using a stick with the flex strength of a 2x4. Thanks for the entertainment Shannon

Hats off to the big man

When he played for the cougars (whl) he would come to kelowna and play in the old barn and his head would be above the glass. now I feel old. Lol

A career vid on Spezza would be cool.

How about a career video of PJ Axelsson?

I watched Chara a lot when he first broke in with the Islanders, and there has been a lot of revisionist history that when he was a young player he was a big, clumsy dork who didn't belong in the NHL. He wasn't the finished and polished player he later became, but you could always tell that he actually was a hockey player and not a novelty act. He was already a good player by the time the Islanders traded him. I think a lot of the revisionism came from the Islanders & their apologists, trying to excuse a terrible trade. If you say, "Well, nobody knew he was gonna be that good," that supposed to say the trade was all right. Hogwash!

209 goals, not bad for someone who's a pure defenseman

I like that this beast of a defenseman is a vegan.

21th all time among defenceman in goals and 29th in points

Chara was the biggest and tallest hockey player I’ve ever seen!

Chara got a ovation for his 1000th game IN MTL. Most hated player in MTL for the last 2 decades, yet the fans respected him. well... on that night at least 🤣

He was also the most in shape player on the Bruins for years

My mom and dad were on vacation in Boston in 2018, and they saw Chara from across the street. My dad says he has never seen a man so huge-literally standing a head over the rest of the population, with limbs thicker than other people's chests. My dad described him as a mythical figure, like a giant from some golden age of the earth who managed to find his way to the 21st century. Of course my mother had no idea who Chara was.

I believe Zdeno's parents are both Olympians.

Great guy I wish big zee the best

What blows my mind is Chara is older than Redden

Big Z! Go B's! 👍🏻

Absolute legend

Make way for Elmer Soderblom 😎

Hard to believe hes a big tough guy, who wore the C for Boston all those years but is also a very gentle dude off-ice who speaks a dozen languages and has a finance degree.

Chara lasted so long cause he could get down the ice in three strides.

He should get in the HoF, but you never know with those guys - sometimes it's the NHL HoF (which it isn't) and sometimes it isn't. However, considering who has gone in - I don't think he's a first ballot

Chara was my favorite Bruin until he left Boston. Gotta go with Marchand now with Bergeron a very close second.

Damn good player for a lot of years.. too bad it was with Boston (sorry, can't stand ANY team from New England past the Whalers).. I expect that as soon as he's eligible.. he'll be a first ballot guy.. and he deserves it.

Now when almost all the players born in the 70s have retired, except jumbo Joe?, It would be nice with some born in the 70s stats videos!

I'm I just blind or hasn't there been a "career of" video on Theoren Fleury yet

Failed to mention most games played as a defensemen(?).

24 years between goals with NYI. But Gordie Howe played 25 years with Detroit...

actually, Chara didn't want to stay in Ottawa because they wouldn't give him the C.... Of Course, our lord and saviour had it !

wait up. why doesn’t the hockey guy go to hockey games?

one of my favorites #gohabsgo

Zndeno Chara > PK Subban

03' Sens ♥

At least Chara aint Hal Gil.

I always felt Chara got away with a lot more than the average Bear...Bruin...

Finally the big tool is gone. Now I don't have to worry about injuries to my favorite players in the playoffs.