Zdeno Chára

Position Defence ShootsLeft Height
Weight6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
260 lb(118 kg/18 st 8 lb) NHLTeam
F. teams Boston Bruins
New York Islanders
Ottawa Senators Nationality Slovakia Born March 18, 1977(1977-03-18) (age 31),
Trencin, CS NHL Draft56th overall, 1996
New York IslandersPro career 1997 – present

Zdeno Chára (pronounced /'zdeno 'xaːra/, born March 18, 1977, in Trenčín, Czechoslovakia) is a Slovakian ice hockey defenceman and team captain of Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. At 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), he is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL.[1]

1 Playing career
2 Family
3 Career statistics
4 International play
5 See also
6 External links
7 References

Playing career

Zdeno was drafted 56th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. After four seasons with the Islanders, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators during the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Chára was part of a package deal with Bill Muckalt and the second overall pick in that year's draft (Jason Spezza) that sent Alexei Yashin to New York.

As a Senator for four years, Chára found his game and more than doubled his previous offensive totals in his first season with Ottawa. In his second season with the team, 2002-03, Chára made his first All-Star Game appearance and recorded the second hardest shot behind Al MacInnis in the skills competition.

The next season, in addition to posting 16 goals and 41 points, Chára recorded the league's third highest plus-minus, behind Martin St. Louis and Marek Malik, culminating into his first Norris Trophy nomination. Although he would lose to Scott Niedermayer as the league's best defenceman, he would join Niedermayer on the NHL First All-Star Team.

After the 2004-05, in which Chára played in the Swedish Elite League for Farjestad, he increased his offensive numbers to 16 goals and 43 points, being named to the NHL Second All-Star Team. As Chára's would not come to terms to a new contract with Ottawa, he became an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2005-06.

Subsequently, on July 1, 2006, he signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract with the Boston Bruins and was named the team's captain, a role left vacant since Joe Thornton's departure, before the beginning of the 2006-07 season. On January 13, 2007, Zdeno was named to 2007 All-Star Game in Dallas and won the hardest shot competition, clocking a shot at 100.4 mph (161.6 km/h).

In 2008, he was voted in as a starter in the All-Star Game for the first time in his career and repeated as the winner of the hardest shot competition, recording an even-faster 103.1 mph (166 km/h) on the radar gun.[2] At the end of the season, Chara received his second nomination for the Norris Trophy after tallying a career-high 17 goals, 34 assists and 51 points, marking the fifth straight season he had either matched or increased his previous season's points total.

On March 8, 2008, during a game against the Washington Capitals, Chara suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder, basically coming close to ending his playing season-he managed to continue play at a slightly lower level of intensity for the remainder of the season, after missing five games during mid-March 2008, and had the left shoulder operated on April 29, 2008.[1]

Family

Zdeno Chára married his long-time girlfriend Tatiana Biskupicova on July 14, 2007 in a Catholic church in Nemšová, Slovakia.[3] His father, Zdenek, was a Greco-Roman wrestler who competed for Czechoslovakia in the 1976 Summer Olympics.[4]

Career statistics

Regular Season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIMGP G A Pts PIM 1996–97 Prince George Cougars WHL49 3 19 22 120 15 1 7 8 45 1997–98 Kentucky Thoroughblades AHL48 4 9 13 125 1 0 0 0 4 1997–98 New York Islanders NHL25 0 1 1 50 -- -- -- -- -- 1998–99 Lowell Lock MonstersAHL 23 2 2 4 47 -- -- -- -- -- 1998–99New York Islanders NHL 59 2 6 8 83 -- -- -- -- -- 1999–00New York Islanders NHL 65 2 9 11 57 -- -- -- -- -- 2000–01New York Islanders NHL 82 2 7 9 157 -- -- -- -- -- 2001–02 HC Dukla Trenčín SVK8 2 2 4 32 -- -- -- -- -- 2001–02 Ottawa SenatorsNHL 75 10 13 23 156 10 0 1 1 12 2002–03Ottawa Senators NHL 74 9 30 39 116 18 1 6 7 14 2003–04Ottawa Senators NHL 79 16 25 41 147 7 1 1 2 8 2004–05 Färjestads BK SEL33 10 15 25 132 13 3 5 8 82 2005–06Ottawa Senators NHL 71 16 27 43 135 10 1 3 4 23 2006–07 Boston BruinsNHL 80 11 32 43 100 -- -- -- -- -- 2007–08 Boston BruinsNHL 77 17 34 51 114 7 1 1 2 12 AHL Totals 71 6 11 17 172 1 0 0 0 4 NHL Totals 687 85 184 269 1115 52 4 12 16 69

International play

Chara has played for Slovakia in the following international competitions:

External links

References

^ Wigge, Larry (2003). [www.nhl.com/columns/wigge/chara020103.html Chara towers over NHL All-Stars]. NHL.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
^ Allen, Kevin (2008). Ovechkin, Chara dazzle in NHL All-Star prelude. USA Today. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
^ Hamill a true surprise pick. Boston Globe (2007). Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
^ Dupont, Kevin Paul (2006). Perfect fit. Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.