After 25 years in the NHL, Zdeno Chara is finally hanging up his skates.
The 45-year-old defenseman announced his retirement via Instagram on Tuesday morning, noting that he will sign a one-day contract to officially retire as a member of the Boston Bruins — the Original Six franchise that he captained for 14 seasons.
He will hold a press conference at TD Garden later this afternoon to officially sign that one-day contract.
"After 25 seasons of professional hockey 1,680 NHL regular season games, 200 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and hundreds of international games I am proud to announce my decision to retire from the National Hockey League," Chara wrote on Instagram. "In doing so, I am honored to return to TD Garden today to sign a one-day contract with the Boston Bruins and officially finish my career with the team that has meant so much to me and my family. There are so many people that have helped contribute to my success, including all of you, and I look forward to properly thanking everyone this afternoon.
"Thank you, Big Zee"
While Chara logged five seasons with the Islanders, four years with the Senators and one campaign with the Capitals, the Trencin, Slovakia product established himself as one of the premier blueliners in the league during his time in Boston — captaining the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup in 39 years while finishing in the top-five voting for the Norris Trophy six times (winning once in 2008-09).
From the Bruins' official release on Chara’s retirement:
Chara, 45, led the Bruins to a postseason berth in 11 of his 14 seasons with the team, including a Stanley Cup Championship in 2010-11. He ranks sixth in franchise history in games played (1,023), and third in points by a defenseman (481) behind Hall of Famers Ray Bourque (1,506) and Bobby Orr (888).
Over his 24-year NHL career, Chara received several individual accolades. He was awarded the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 2008-09, after tallying a career-high 19 goals and 31 assists in 80 games with Boston. He was the recipient of the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2010-11 for his exemplary leadership both on and off the ice. He was named to the NHL First All-Star Team three times (2003-04, 2008-09, 2013-14), the Second All-Star Team four times (2005-06, 2007-08, 2010-11, 2011-12), and was selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game six times (2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2011-12). He was also the recipient of the Golden Puck as Slovakia's Player of the Year six times (2008-09, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2017-18, 2018-19). He twice received the silver medal with Slovakia in the IIHF World Hockey Championships (2000, 2012), and also received the silver medal with Team Europe in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
In 2011, Chara became the first Bruins captain to bring a Stanley Cup home to Boston since 1972. He would make two more trips to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2013 and 2019 and finished his career with totals of 18 goals and 52 assists for 70 points in 200 playoff games. Chara ranks first in the NHL with 14 career Game 7 appearances.
In his 14 seasons as a Bruin, Chara ranked first among the team in games played (1,023), plus-minus rating (+240), penalty minutes (1,055), and time on ice per game (24:29). Chara finished his career in Boston with 148 goals and 333 assists for 481 points.
Off the ice, Chara consistently led the team to participate in philanthropy and community events, both locally and internationally. For three years, Chara participated in the annual Bruins pie delivery, where he traveled to various shelters around Boston to donate pies for Thanksgiving. In 2019, Chara teamed up with New Balance to organize a shoe drive and donate shoes in both Boston and Slovakia. In addition to participating in annual team events including holiday toy shopping, hospital visits, and the Bruins PJ Drive, Chara also partnered with former Mayor of Boston, Martin. J Walsh, to donate 3,333 pairs of socks to seven local shelters around the city of Boston. Chara's community initiatives and engagement led to a King Clancy nomination for the 2018-19 season, which is awarded to the player "who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community."
More info to come…