Through 24 NHL seasons, Zdeno Chara used his size, skill and brains to dominate opposing players.

Born March 18, 1977 in Trencin, Slovakia, Chara starred in his home country and in the Czech Republic before immigrating to Canada as a 19-year-old after being selected by the New York Islanders in the 3rd round, 56th overall, at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft and then four days later, by the Western Hockey League’s Prince George Cougars in the 1st round, 6th overall, in the 1996 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft.

After a year playing Junior, the Islanders assigned Chara to the Kentucky Thoroughblades of the American Hockey League (AHL) for the 1997-98 season and was called up by the Islanders on three occasions that season. He played in the 1998 AHL All-Star Classic and was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team for 1997-98.

Although he spent some time with the AHL’s Lowell Lock Monsters, Zdeno became a full-time member of the New York Islanders in 1998-99 and was on Long Island until traded to the Ottawa Senators on June 23, 2001, where he played through the 2005-06 season with the exception of the NHL lockout season in 2004-05 when he joined Farjestads BK in Sweden. In 2002-03, Chara was a valued member of the Senators, who won the President’s Trophy after finishing first during the regular season. In 2003-04, Chara enjoyed a career-best performance with 16 goals and 41 points, was selected to the NHL’s First All-Star Team and was a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s Best Defenceman.

Finances dictated that the Senators were unable to sign both Wade Redden and Zdeno Chara, and when the Senators chose Redden, Chara exercised free agency and joined the Boston Bruins prior to the 2006-07 season. Already a dominant player, Zdeno’s career flourished further in Boston. He was named captain of the Bruins and served in that capacity through his entire 14 seasons in Boston, where the team won the Prince of Wales Trophy as conference champions as well as the Stanley Cup in 2011. Zdeno was just the second European captain to lead an NHL team to a Stanley Cup championship.

2012 IIHF World Championship playing for Slovakia. (Jani Rajamaki/HHOF-IIHF)

Captain Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins poses with the Prince of Wales Trophy after winning Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Final on May 16, 2019. (Stan Gilliland/HHOF-IIHF)

The Bruins took the Prince of Wales Trophy again in 2013. Having already been a First Team All-Star with Ottawa, Chara was named to the NHL’s First All-Star Team again in 2008-09 and 2013-14. He played in six NHL All-Star Games (2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012) and was the winner of the NHL Hardest Shot competition five times (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012). Chara was recipient of the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL Top Defenceman in 2008-09, just the second European to be chosen. And in 2010-11, Chara was selected to receive the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.

On December 30, 2020, Chara proved that he wasn’t finished yet when he signed as a free agent with Washington Capitals. And then he surprised the hockey world again the next season when he joined the New York Islanders on October 10, 2021 as a free agent.

After 25 seasons of professional hockey, 24 of which were played in the NHL, Zdeno Chara announced his retirement on September 20, 2022. Through 1,680 regular season NHL games, he scored 209 goals and added 471 assists for 680 points. In playoff action, we played 200 games, scored 18 goals and collected 52 assists for 70 points. In 2025, Chara was named to the NHL’s Quarter Century Team of players who began their careers in the 1990s.

Chara played for Slovakia in three Olympic Games (2006, 2010, 2014) and was named Captain in the latter two tournaments. He also played in two World Cup of Hockey tournaments (2004, 2016) and was Alternate Captain in the latter tournament. Additionally, he participated in seven IIHF World Championships (1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012), helping win the Silver medal in 2000 and 2012. He was appointed Alternate Captain in 2007 and Captain in 2012 at the World Championships. During the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 100th anniversary season in 2019-20, Chara was named to the All-Time Slovakia team. In 2025, he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. That same year, he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Player Category.

Much has been made of Zdeno Chara’s height. At 2063 centimetres, he stands six feet eight inches, making him the tallest player ever to play in the National Hockey League.