BOSTON — Trying to pick a favorite Zdeno Chara moment as a Bruin is like looking for a specific penny at the bottom of a wishing well … you simply cannot do it.
It could be the time he bloodied Blackhawks enforcer David Koci in his first fight as a Bruin, the same evening the Red Sox were playing the Cardinals in Game 2 of the 2007 World Series across town. Maybe it’s the entirety of the 2008-09 season, in which he won the Norris Trophy. What about a slapshot that reached 105 mph or more and terrified goaltenders (and potential shot-blockers) across the NHL? Perhaps your preference was the 360-degree pirouette and spin-o-rama through the slot he pulled off before scoring on a backhand against the Panthers in 2013.
Was it lifting the Stanley Cup aloft in Vancouver in 2011 — being the tallest person ever to do so — and knocking his new championship hat off his head while doing so, letting out a guttural roar of satisfaction in the process? Big Zee, at that exact moment, was never bigger.
Was it being on the ice for all four goals in the third period and overtime, of Boston’s historic Game 7 playoff comeback against Toronto in 2013? Or in that same postseason, punching Penguins captain Sidney Crosby in the jaw as they jawed at each other during Boston’s unexpected four-game Eastern Conference Finals sweep?
And surely, who could ever forget Game 5 of the 2019 Cup Final against the Blues when Chara, stoically resilient, was introduced with that night’s starting lineup while wearing a full face shield after breaking his jaw the previous game in St. Louis? TD Garden may have never, ever in its history been louder than the very moment.
Perhaps it’s easier to just say “his entire body of work in Black-and-Gold” and how he transformed the team’s habits, identity and mindset in one fell swoop, bringing back a team-wide toughness and swagger while also fostering a culture of inclusion, respect and brotherhood throughout the organization.
Chara, who was feted by the Bruins Thursday night as his No. 33 was lifted to the TD Garden rafters prior to the team’s game against Seattle, can rightfully be described as a one-of-a-kind icon in the history of our sporting landscape. The 6-foot-9, 255-pound behemoth that everyone looked up to will now experience that feeling when he gazes up and sees his No. 33 displayed forever, off limits to anyone else who ever dons the spoked-B.
“Being a Bruin was, and still is, the biggest privilege and responsibility I ever had,” Chara said.
He might have played for the Islanders and Senators at the start of his NHL career, then donned the colors of the Capitals and Islanders (again) for one season each after 14 years in the Hub. But make no mistake: Chara was born to be a Bruin. He had Black-and-Gold stitched into his DNA long before he came here and was immediately made captain in the summer of 2006.
Few franchises in any professional sport can claim a lineage like the Bruins do when it comes to legendary defenseman. One could easily make an argument that five of the dozen best blueliners of all time have called Causeway Street home: Bobby Orr, Raymond Bourque, Eddie Shore, Brad Park and yes, Chara.
What separates Chara from his Bruins’ backline brethren? Height, weight and strength, obviously.
There was something else, too: accountability. He not only led the Bruins back to greatness and propriety, but also accountability that had been missing. That permeated through the locker room; this physical freak of nature who was in peak physical shape was working as hard as possible every game, every shift, every practice, so teammates learned quickly they’d better follow suit or else.
During the 51-minute ceremony, Chara talked of how he and his wife, Tatiana, felt welcome in Boston from the first time he got here. He made sure to thank everyone — former teammates, coaches, team doctors and support staff, management, the fans and, several times, his family. He recalled switching from his No. 3 with Ottawa to No. 33 in Boston and loved that it connected him to city icons Larry Bird and Jason Varitek, who donned the same digits with the Celtics and Red Sox, respectively.
He later said during a post-ceremony media conference (in which he started by, of all things, thanking those in attendance for chronicling his career in Boston) that he was still processing his number joining the club’s all-time greats, his pure joy of playing with teammates he considers as close as brothers, and how he considered it “the highest honor” in watching his children (daughter Elliz and twin sons Zack and Ben) to hoist his number to the rafters, rather than doing it himself.
When the 17,850 broke out into a ‘ZDENO CHARA!’ chant, the big man admitted afterwards, that he came very close to tears.
But perhaps the most surprising admission was that Chara admitted he played every game with fear — not because he was afraid, but to motivate himself.
“The fear was more me creating something that pushed me more,” he said.
A young, awkward Sloviakian who was told he’d never play pro hockey because of his size became one of the greatest forces in the game’s history, a generational player and first ballot Hockey Hall of Famer whose indelible mark will remain on our sporting landscape forever.
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Phil Stacey has covered the Boston Bruins for more than 30 years for The Salem News. Contact him at pstacey@salemnews.com and follow him on X @PhilStacey_SN
Contact Phil Stacey
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