Bruins legend Zdeno Chara is feeling at home in his new role with the Black and Gold, one he says will force him to look at the game from the “other side” while he draws back on lessons from his playing career.
The Bruins have named Chara as a hockey operations advisor and mentor, officially reuniting the former 14-year captain with the organization he led to the 2011 Stanley Cup.
Chara, 48, has turned into an impressive marathon runner and triathlete since retiring in 2022. He says being around the team will be his top priority, and that he’s excited about “everything” his new position involves.
“I’m honored to be back with the team and working with the coaching staff, management and players,” Chara told reporters at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday. “It’s definitely something new, something that I know I can bring a lot. But at the same time, I will be learning a lot, too.”
The Bruins named the 6-foot-9 Chara to the role on Thursday. They said the Hall of Fame-bound defensive stalwart will be focused on “building relationships and strengthening communication between players and coaches, attending practices and home games, and providing off-ice development support to defensemen.”
Chara will also be a resource for the team’s development staff, making visits to connect with prospects in Providence.
“It is nice to be back, interacting with players, learning from coaches,” he said. “Obviously, I know how it is to be a player. It’s a little different to be on the other side, but at the same time, I can relate to a lot of the things that I experienced as a player. It is a process that I know you have to gain experience and learn how to look at the game from the other side.”
As a player in Boston (2006-20), Chara appeared in more than 1,000 games and won the Norris Trophy in the 2008-09 season as the NHL’s top defenseman. He was a finalist for the award six times during his 25-year career.
Chara stands as the league’s all-time leader in games played by a defenseman, at over 1,600.
Charlie McAvoy, who has solidified himself as a top defenseman for the Bruins, fully knows the impact that Chara can have on the organization. McAvoy, who entered the league in 2017, and Chara were paired together for three seasons.
McAvoy called Chara a “leader,” while speaking to reporters after practice on Friday.
“Every day, he brought it,” McAvoy said, reflecting on his time playing with Chara. “Every single day, he led by example. He was the hardest-working guy out there. He’s in the gym early, he’s doing more, he’s here early, he leaves late. You just saw what it meant to him.”
Marco Sturm echoed McAvoy. Sturm played with Chara in the latter half of the 2000s in Boston. The first-year head coach said he wants to “take advantage” of having his former teammate around.
“It’s great to see him back,” Sturm said of Chara. “I talked to him a few times over the summer, and when I got back to Boston. I could tell right away he wanted to come back. He loves the game. He loves the Bruins culture.”
Chara said the relationships he made with his former teammates who remain in Boston, knowing their personalities and how they think, will really help them be “on the same page.”
“This is all about communication,” he said, “being open with each other and having transparency with players and coaches. We all work for the same goal, just to improve and get the maximum potential and performance from our team.”
David Pastrnak is one of the players still suiting up in the Black and Gold from Chara’s tenure. The two became teammates when the star right winger entered the league in 2014.
“It is so simple with Zdeno; he has so much to offer,” Pastrnak said. “I think every single young player in the locker room should recognize what kind of person we have in this room and use him. He’s here for us. He has so much to offer, and we can learn so much from him.”
Looking back at his decision to sign with Boston as a free agent in 2006, Chara said Friday he believes he “made the right decision.”
“It’s just been an unbelievable 20-plus years,” he said. “My family has been raised here, we stay here, we live here, so it’s become a home. That’s why I’m here.”