Player Discussion Zdeno Chara Retires a Boston Bruin

JCRO

At least I'm safe inside my mind
Sponsor
Mar 8, 2011
8,802
9,931
Ive "been a fan since birth." But I really became a die hard in Chara's first season back in 06-07. Prior to that I lightly watched throughout the Jumbo/ Samsonov (first favorite player and profile pic). But 06-07 on I was all in with this club.

My youth hockey card from that year has Chara listed as my favorite player. I played defense and idolized the way he dominated his own end. This is so weird for me. It was weird when he left Boston... But this is a different weird.

Thank you Big Z and happy retirement. Like others I am so grateful for all the memories throughout and of course, the Stanley Cup.

Very emotional day.
 

missingchicklet

Registered User
Jan 24, 2010
36,589
34,464
I've mentioned this before on this board, I was fortunate enough to be able to watch Z play in-person for most of a season in the AHL. He was more of an oddity at that point than a player anyone considered a serious threat to ever be a top-pairing d-man. He was uncoordinated and not exactly fast. He spent quite a bit of time in the penalty box because he would get out of position and interfere and hook too much. Looked like an aircraft carrier going up the ice at times, however his potential with his size and reach obviously had the Islanders interested enough to give him some time to develop.

The thing that struck me most about him at the time was how serious and dedicated he was. He got interviewed on the local news more than other players. His English wasn't too great back then and he seemed to know only two words. "What do you do in your spare time, Zdeno?" "Work out. "What are your hobbies, Zdeno?" "Work out." "No, I mean what do you do to relax away from hockey?" "Work out." "What do you need to do to get a permanent spot on the Islanders?" "Work out." He wasn't joking. There was a gym near me that was basically Zdeno's second home. When he wasn't practicing or playing games that's where you would find him. Z's focus on reaching his goal was intense.

My seats to AHL games were in the front row several seats down from the visitor's penalty box. On more than one occasion Z got frustrated and drilled the puck into the boards. One game after the period ended Z was frustrated about something (I have no clue what it was) and was directly across the ice from where I was sitting. He hauled back and let loose a massive slapper. I assume he was going for the boards, but he lifted the puck and it came straight at my head level. I normally am pretty stoic when a puck comes at me since I am used to it, but this time was different. A) I saw him shoot the puck, but never saw the puck once it left his stick. B) the thunderous boom it made when it hit the glass and echoed through the arena was on a level I had never heard before. Long story short, that is the closest I ever came as an adult to soiling my pants. He came out the next period for warmups and tapped the glass in front of me. I like to think it was an apology, but who knows.

In any case, it was a real treat to be able to watch Z from near the beginning of his pro career go all the way to a HOF player who will have his number retired. His work ethic and character from the get-go put him in the position he is in today. I could have done cartwheels for days when it was announced he was going to be a Bruin. And I didn't even know at that time what was to come for the Bs as a result of signing Z.
 

bruins19

Registered User
Aug 11, 2005
1,510
2,896
Yup changed the culture - phenomenal person and player. I hope he ends up part of organization
Absolutely agree he set the bar very high for team culture and led by sterling example for personal and professional excellence. Team first, all in.
 

Fenway

HF Bookie and Bruins Historian
Sponsor
Sep 26, 2007
69,146
100,542
Cambridge, MA
1663708331102.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: BMC

Fenway

HF Bookie and Bruins Historian
Sponsor
Sep 26, 2007
69,146
100,542
Cambridge, MA
BOSTON BRUINS DEFENSEMAN ZDENO CHARA…



On the difficulty of the decision and what it means to retire a Bruin…

“It wasn’t difficult. I knew before this day. I knew quite earlier than today, but I waited a little and wanted to really soak everything in. We had some conversations with Cam and Don, and we were just waiting for the right timing. It’s a privilege, it’s such a huge honor, like said, to be part of this organization for so long and to retire as a Boston Bruin, it’s a huge amount of honor.”


On his plans for retirement...

“I’m not just going to completely just not follow hockey or follow the Bruins especially. I’m just going to take my time right now to really be home and see how much free time I have before I can actually commit to anything. It’d be really unfair to myself, my family, or to whatever I decide to do hockey-wise. To commit to something without knowing I can be committed one hundred percent to that specific job or task. Just want to enjoy being with my family, my kids especially. Just want to be taking days as they come. I think if there’s opportunities or there’s something that will present in the future, there’s always going to be a chance to step in. But as of right now, I’m just kind of going to take some time and see how it goes.”

On if he felt it was time…

“The biological age is always going to be there, you can’t deny it. I knew where I was, but that was not the main reason. I think the main reason was just to be home with my family. The past two years, I’ve been away constantly. It was weighing on me way too much, and I knew that first of all, it was time, and it was the right time to step away. Having three kids at home and being involved and not missing their birthdays or special occasions. I knew that was the right decision and I’m completely happy with it. I have no regrets, I would not change a thing. We are in a business where everything is judged by winning, but I had my share of highs and the lows, and that's ok. That's part of it. You learn from it, and you grow as a player, and you grow as a person. I'm completely at peace with it, I’m happy with it.”


On how he’ll drive himself with retirement…

“I'm not sure. I’m learning it. I'm living it right now, I can't really tell you that after three months of being away from the game or not following the same routine as I used to. I’ll tell you exactly how it is. It’s normal, I’m still active, and I still have that drive in me. Probably not at that level I need it or want it to for hockey, it’s more for me being in shape and feeling good and feeling good about myself. That’s not going to change or ever leave. I always really enjoy being in good shape and somewhat in some capacity compete. Whether that's just for me or against myself or doing some races or some stuff that I kind of like. I’m learning it. Basically, it’s something we all are going to have to go through, you're in such an everyday schedule-driven regime, and it’s great I loved it, I enjoyed it. But at the same time, now I don't have it, and that’s ok.”


On building a culture in Boston…

“Without that, you can’t win. You need to have a culture. You need to have players that want to follow, and it wasn’t just me. It was a team effort. I would have never done it without Patrice. I never would have done it without Brad coming in and following Patrice’s lead. We had guys stepping in willing to come from other 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, and slowly and surely, we were climbing and making these steps, but without the culture and without someone planting the seed and basically putting the foot down that this is how it’s going to be, yeah it was hard at the beginning. It was not probably easy, and not everybody wanted to kind of change, but it was necessary. I felt it was necessary for this organization and for this team to make a change. We had Cam arrive, we have Don step in; we have different people coming in and helping change the culture and make it better. Ultimately, we end up winning the Stanley Cup in 2011, and we came close two other times.”


On who brought out the best in him…

“They’re sitting right here: Patrice, Marchy. We always compete against each other in the practices, but we knew that that would make the best of us; it would just bring the best of us. It would just prepare us for the games. I always kept telling them, if the practice is harder than the game, then that’s how it should be so then the games became easier. There’s so many great players you play against over the span of 25 years; it would be – like I named a few. You had challenges every night against the best players in the world, but I think the biggest challenge you face is against yourself. You have to look at yourself every night before you step on the ice and make sure you’re ready. That’s the challenge you face every day, and you better be ready, because if you’re not, then you are not giving your best; you’re not giving one-hundred percent to the team, and it’s not fair if you don’t. So, as much as you compete against others, I think the biggest challenge or biggest task is competing against yourself and being at your best.”


On if he is no longer ready for the challenge…

“No, like I said, my decision was based on family. Listen, you tell me I cannot do something, I’ll make sure I do it. It doesn’t matter the age. It’s not that. It’s time to be home. It’s time for everything. I had my share of battles and all of these things. It’s time to be home with my family.”


On what he recalls from 2011…

“If you say what it means to me, I would correct you – what it means to us. We won it together. It’s not me because I was the captain. We did it together. We had such a committed group. We all bought in to what we did prior years in the practices. Every day, we made commitments to each other and to the team and the organization. To finally accomplish it in winning the Stanley Cup, it was such a relief and such a happy moment for everybody, because we did it together. We did it as a group. And the celebrations are just something we will never forget. If you ask any of us, that’s the best memories we have. Going to what you said about the city, I think it’s pretty special, this city, the fanbase we have, the success the teams have around here. It’s pretty special. I’m very happy, like I said. This is our home. My kids were born here, and we call it home, and we love this city and the fans.”


BOSTON BRUINS PRESIDENT CAM NEELY…


On if the Chara free agent signing was one of the best in history…

“Yeah, absolutely, I would agree with that statement, especially where the team was at that particular moment in time. Then what Zdeno not only brought on the ice but also in the locker room. We touched on it today: the leadership abilities and qualities he has and the demand that he had for his teammates to follow a certain lead and to really build back the culture of this organization, I think, was key. And it certainly led to the success that the teams that Zdeno had brought. Yeah, arguably the best free agent signing probably in history.”


On if the Bruins will be in Toronto for the Hall of Fame soon…

“I would find it hard to believe he is not going to be there.”


On if there is a moment that stands out that describes Chara…

“I went to go visit him after he broke his jaw in the playoffs in ’19 in the hospital, and he’s telling me he’s playing Game 5. I’ve had surgeries where you’re out…to me, that just showed everything about Zdeno and who Zdeno is – not only the toughness, but the commitment and understanding there are only so many kicks at the can."


On if the door is open for Chara to join the organization…

“Yeah, I am looking forward to having that conversation with him whenever he is ready to have that conversation. Obviously, having Zdeno around at whatever capacity would be a huge boost to the franchise, so we’ll see where it goes. Obviously, any athletes that retire, whether it’s on their choice or not, you still need some time to digest and kind of figure out what the next chapter is going to be. Not many have an idea of what they’re doing the following day they retire. Zdeno can take the time he needs, and we’ll see where it goes from there. You’re always going to be a Boston Bruin. Whenever the time comes, I want you to consider retiring as a Bruin. Obviously that’s something that was very special for him to do whenever that day came which was today. It made all the sense in the world for that to happen.”


BOSTON BRUINS CAPTAIN PATRICE BERGERON…

On Chara…

“He was a great mentor, a great person, a great friend. I am thankful for his friendship and everything that he meant to the Boston Bruins organization. This day brings back a lot of memories. Congratulations to the big man for everything that he’s accomplished. As we all know, a sure Hall of Famer, especially on and off the ice. That’s the most important part.”


On how special of a player he was…

“On the ice, we all know how he was, he really leaded well. How talented he was, how gifted he was. A real shutdown D-Man, but also offensively to have that shot and to make those plays. He was a force to be reckoned with. I was happy to be on his side, to be honest with you. I played against him when he was in Ottawa, and he was just so hard to play against. And to have him on your side it just gives you a lot of confidence. Off the ice as a leader, the way that he competed, the way that he demanded guys to give their best, and the work ethic. Touched on the culture that he brought in, and it's been a great journey to be with him.”


On Chara’s thoughts about family…

“Obviously, we love them, and that’s why we’re doing it. It’s a passion, it’s something that drives us. But also, family should always come first, and a lot of sacrifices are made. There comes a time when you reflect on that. I’ve had the chance to speak to him a few times before today. Good for him on everything he’s accomplished, all the accolades that he really deserves. It’s great that he’s going to be able to be with his family.”


On the difference before and after Zdeno arrived…

“I think it grew as it went along. It’s always harder when you… A lot of guys came in, as he talked about, to help. As we went along, Shawn Thornton and Mark Recchi, guys who had won before, had come into the locker room and helped. His competitiveness, that way that he demanded guys to compete and work, as we talked about the practices. It was always hard, going after each other. There's no hard feelings, guys are just going after each other…. We had some guys still do that are willing to buy into that and go with what he was saying as management.”
 
Last edited:

The Un4casted Storm

Registered User
May 14, 2015
158
601
Vancouver, Canada
Not going to lie, this is hitting me pretty hard. Chara signing with the Bruins (along with drafting Milan Lucic) in 2006 pretty much kickstarted my own Bruins fandom into high gear. As a B.C. boy, growing up in the 90's/early 2000s, it was almost impossible to watch Bruins games as they were hardly ever on TV and were largely irrelevant from a league-wide perspective. Chara arriving in Boston seemed like it really put the B's back on the map in the NHL and it's been a blast over the years watching him help turn this franchise around and establish a championship-calibre culture. Thanks for all the great memories, Zdeno!

Fun Fact: this picture of Chara destroying Vancouver has been the desktop image on my computer for the past decade+ since the win in 2011 (it really annoys all my Canucks-fan friends lol)

1.jpg


I only briefly swapped it out for this other one in 2013 :sarcasm:

chara.jpg
 

GordonHowe

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Sep 21, 2005
15,647
16,256
Watertown, Massachusetts




JUST HIT "YOUTUBE,"



 

Attachments

  • 012617bruinsms26.jpg
    012617bruinsms26.jpg
    140.8 KB · Views: 1
  • chara_laing.jpg
    chara_laing.jpg
    103.1 KB · Views: 2
  • 513217358.jpg
    513217358.jpg
    58.4 KB · Views: 1
  • chara.0.png
    chara.0.png
    44.2 KB · Views: 2
  • 00839700.jpg
    00839700.jpg
    586 KB · Views: 2
  • chard116005373Web.jpg
    chard116005373Web.jpg
    139.2 KB · Views: 1
  • hi-res-128372153_crop_650x440.jpg
    hi-res-128372153_crop_650x440.jpg
    121.5 KB · Views: 1
  • Zdeno-Chara-Tom-Brady-1024x683.jpg
    Zdeno-Chara-Tom-Brady-1024x683.jpg
    65.8 KB · Views: 1
  • Zdeno+Chara+Tim+Thomas+NHL+Awards+Show+-4sDdcbtEJhl.jpg
    Zdeno+Chara+Tim+Thomas+NHL+Awards+Show+-4sDdcbtEJhl.jpg
    80.5 KB · Views: 1
  • bruins-win2.jpg
    bruins-win2.jpg
    78.6 KB · Views: 1
  • Untitled1.png
    Untitled1.png
    2 MB · Views: 1
  • chara-big.jpg
    chara-big.jpg
    111.8 KB · Views: 1
  • dt.common.streams.StreamServer.jpg
    dt.common.streams.StreamServer.jpg
    38.2 KB · Views: 1
  • banner.jpg
    banner.jpg
    56.3 KB · Views: 1
  • 00839700.jpg
    00839700.jpg
    586 KB · Views: 1
  • mag_zdeno_chara_04.jpg
    mag_zdeno_chara_04.jpg
    70.4 KB · Views: 2
  • 129021538.jpg
    129021538.jpg
    75.1 KB · Views: 2
  • 170002312.jpg
    170002312.jpg
    73.6 KB · Views: 2
  • JUO3WVXJKVC3PG3UEMJY52Q3K4.jpg
    JUO3WVXJKVC3PG3UEMJY52Q3K4.jpg
    89.5 KB · Views: 2
  • 00043919.jpg
    00043919.jpg
    80.9 KB · Views: 2
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Alicat

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad