One of the most cherished Boston Bruins players is headed to the Hall of Fame. Former defenseman Zdeno Chara was one of eight people elected into the Hall of Fame. Former Boston University coach Jack Parker and Danielle Sauvageau, while former players joining Chara are Joe Thornton, a former first-overall pick of the Black and Gold, Jennifer Botterill, Briana Decker, Duncan Keith, and Alexander Mogilny.
When the Bruins signed Chara as a free agent in the summer of 2006, little did they know what was to be. He played 14 of 24 NHL seasons with the Bruins and was a big reason why they won the Stanley Cup in 2011 in seven games over the Vancouver Canucks. He left following the COVID-19 bubble of the 2019-20 season in free agency for the Washington Capitals, before playing for the New York Islanders before calling it a career. He'll always be remembered for his time with the Black and Gold.
Zdeno Chara correctly gets into the Hall of Fame
If it didn't happen this year, it was going to happen at some point for Chara. The numbers alone back up his deserving spot in the Hall of Fame, never mind the impact he made on the ice every shift. The 6-foot-9 blueliner is sixth on the Bruins franchise in games played with 1,023 and a distant third for points by defensemen with 481, trailing Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, who had 1,506, and Bobby Orr, who collected 888.
Chara, who got in on his first year of eligibility, won the Norris Trophy during the 2008-09 season after scoring 19 goals and dishing out 31 assists. He was a three-time NHL First Team All-Star and a four-time NHL Second Team All-Star.
There are a ton of moments that Chara will be remembered for with the Boston Bruins, but it will be tough to top the 2019 Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues when he was on the ice for Game 5 at the TD Garden after he suffered multiple fractures to his jaw. The ovation he got that night gave everyone chills and will never be forgotten.
Chara spent five years in total with two stints with the Islanders, four with the Ottawa Senators, and two with the Capitals. There are very few other defensemen who impacted a game the way Big Z did when he was on the ice, from his long reach frustrating opponents, to his ability to take the body and block shots. He was a true franchise player who was respected by not only his teammates but also other players around the league. There aren't enough Zdeno Charas anymore.