Boston Bruins' Zdeno Chára hoists the Stanley Cup following the Bruins' 4-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the NHL Finals on June 15, 2011. (source: TASR/AP )
Just a month after being inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame, former Slovak ice hockey defenceman Zdeno Chára is set to receive another major honour. As reported by NHL.com, Chára will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November, already in his first year of eligibility following his retirement three years ago.
He will be joined by fellow inductees Joe Thornton, Alexander Mogilny and Duncan Keith.
Chára becomes the fifth Slovak to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame. He follows Marián Hossa (2020), Peter Šťastný (1998), Stan Mikita (1983), and sports journalist George Gross (1985).
Chára’s NHL career began with the New York Islanders in 1997 — the same team with which he played his final game in 2022. Over his career, he played 1,680 NHL games, more than any other defenceman in league history. He scored 209 goals and made 471 assists, totalling 680 points.
The towering Slovak is especially admired for his 14 seasons as captain of the Boston Bruins, from 2006 to 2020. In 2009, he became the first Slovak to win the Norris Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top defenceman. Two years later, he led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup title.
In 2019, Chára came close to winning a second Stanley Cup. Despite suffering multiple jaw fractures after taking a puck to the face in Game 4 of the finals, he returned to the ice with a jaw protector and played the remainder of the series, earning widespread respect for his courage and leadership.
Standing at 206 centimetres, Chára is the tallest player in NHL history. Known for his physical play and powerful slap shot, he holds the NHL All-Star record for the hardest shot — 175.067 km/h. He won the event five times and broke his own record twice.
Remarkably, Chára achieved all of this despite being doubted early in his career. As NHL.com recalls, he was once seen as "a gangly defenceman, an awkward skater". But through determination and hard work, he forged a legendary career and secured his place among hockey’s greats.
