Zdeno Chára

Date of Birth: Mar 18, 1977
Age: 49
Place of Birth: Trencin, SVK
Nation: Slovakia / Czechia
Youth Team: HK Dukla Trencin
Position: D
Height: 205 cm / 6'9"
Weight: 113 kg / 249 lbs
Shoots: L
Status: Retired

Zdeno Chára Facts

Player Type: Heavy HitterLeaderTwo-Way Defenseman
Drafted: 1996 round 3 #56 overall by New York Islanders
Agency: Premium

Father : Zdeněk Chára (external link)

A dominating all-round defenseman. Plays aggressively, loves to be physical and hits a lot. A hard-working team player. Possesses one of the hardest slapshots in the game. Lacks speed and agility, which can lead to issues with quick forwards. A very good penalty killer and, thanks to his slapshot, a useful point man on powerplay. (Matias Strozyk, 2011)

Team Staff profile also available: Zdeno Chára

Zdeno Chára Statistics

S	Team	League	GP	G	A	TP	PIM	+/-	Post	GP	G	A	TP	PIM	+/-
1994-1995	Dukla Trencin U18	Slovakia U18	30	22	22	44	113	-
1994-1995	HK Dukla Trencin U20	Slovakia U20	2	0	0	0	0	-
1995-1996	HK Dukla Trencin U20	Slovakia U20	22	1	13	14	80	-
1995-1996	HK Dukla Trencin II	Slovakia2	5	1	1	2	6	2
1995-1996	SHK 37 Piestany	Slovakia2	10	1	3	4	10	-
1995-1996	HC Sparta Praha U20	Czechia U20	15	1	2	3	42	-
1995-1996	HC Sparta Praha	Czechia	1	0	0	0	0	-
1996-1997	Prince George Cougars	WHL	49	3	19	22	120	-5	Playoffs	15	1	7	8	45	6
1997-1998	New York Islanders	NHL	25	0	1	1	50	1
1997-1998	Kentucky Thoroughblades	AHL	48	4	9	13	125	0	Playoffs	1	0	0	0	4	1
1998-1999	New York Islanders	NHL	59	2	6	8	83	-8
1998-1999	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL	23	2	2	4	47	5
1998-1999	Slovakia	WC	6	1	0	1	6	4
1998-1999	Slovakia (all)	International	6	1	0	1	6	4
1999-2000	New York Islanders	NHL	65	2	9	11	57	-27
1999-2000	Slovakia "A"	WC	9	0	0	0	12	1
1999-2000	Slovakia (all)	International	9	0	0	0	12	1
2000-2001	New York Islanders "A"	NHL	82	2	7	9	157	-27
2000-2001	Slovakia	WC	7	0	1	1	10	1
2000-2001	Slovakia (all)	International	7	0	1	1	10	1
2001-2002	HK Dukla Trencin	Slovakia	8	2	2	4	32	1
2001-2002	Ottawa Senators	NHL	75	10	13	23	156	30	Playoffs	10	0	1	1	12	4
2002-2003	Ottawa Senators	NHL	74	9	30	39	116	29	Playoffs	18	1	6	7	14	4
2003-2004	Ottawa Senators "A"	NHL	79	16	25	41	147	33	Playoffs	7	1	1	2	8	3
2003-2004	Slovakia "A"	WC	9	2	0	2	2	6
2003-2004	Slovakia (all)	International	13	2	2	4	10	1
2004-2005	Färjestad BK Lockout	Elitserien	33	10	15	25	132	24	Playoffs	13	3	5	8	82	3
2004-2005	Slovakia	WCup	4	0	2	2	8	-5
2004-2005	Slovakia	WC	7	0	2	2	2	1
2004-2005	Slovakia (all)	International	7	0	2	2	2	1
2005-2006	Ottawa Senators "A"	NHL	71	16	27	43	135	17	Playoffs	10	1	3	4	23	0
2005-2006	Slovakia Olympics	OG	6	1	1	2	2	6
2005-2006	Slovakia (all)	International	6	1	1	2	2	6
2006-2007	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	80	11	32	43	100	-21
2006-2007	Slovakia "A"	WC	7	3	1	4	4	4
2006-2007	Slovakia (all)	International	8	3	1	4	-	-
2007-2008	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	77	17	34	51	114	14	Playoffs	7	1	1	2	12	-1
2008-2009	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	80	19	31	50	95	23	Playoffs	11	1	3	4	12	1
2009-2010	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	80	7	37	44	87	19	Playoffs	13	2	5	7	29	1
2009-2010	Slovakia Olympics "C"	OG	7	0	3	3	6	0
2009-2010	Slovakia (all)	International	7	0	3	3	6	0
2010-2011	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	81	14	30	44	88	33	Playoffs	24	2	7	9	34	16
2011-2012	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	79	12	40	52	86	33	Playoffs	7	1	2	3	8	-1
2011-2012	Slovakia "C"	WC	10	2	2	4	4	4
2011-2012	Slovakia (all)	International	10	2	2	4	4	4
2012-2013	HC Lev Praha "C" Lockout	KHL	25	4	6	10	24	5
2012-2013	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	48	7	12	19	70	14	Playoffs	22	3	12	15	20	7
2013-2014	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	77	17	23	40	66	25	Playoffs	12	2	2	4	14	4
2013-2014	Slovakia Olympics "C"	OG	4	0	1	1	4	-1
2013-2014	Slovakia (all)	International	4	0	1	1	4	-1
2014-2015	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	63	8	12	20	42	0
2015-2016	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	80	9	28	37	71	12
2016-2017	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	75	10	19	29	59	18	Playoffs	6	0	1	1	2	-3
2016-2017	Team Europe "A"	WCup	6	2	0	2	6	0
2017-2018	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	73	7	17	24	60	22	Playoffs	12	1	2	3	4	7
2018-2019	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	62	5	9	14	57	22	Playoffs	23	2	4	6	16	11
2019-2020	Boston Bruins "C"	NHL	68	5	9	14	60	26	Playoffs	13	0	2	2	8	-4
2020-2021	Washington Capitals	NHL	55	2	8	10	44	5	Playoffs	5	0	0	0	2	1
2021-2022	New York Islanders	NHL	72	2	12	14	85	8

Zdeno Chára Career Totals

League	Seasons	GP	G	A	TP	PPG	PIM	+/-	Seasons	GP	G	A	TP	PPG	PIM	+/-
AHL	2	71	6	11	17	0.24	172	5	1	1	0	0	0	0.00	4	1
Czechia	1	1	0	0	0	0.00	0	-	0
Czechia U20	1	15	1	2	3	0.20	42	-	0
Elitserien (SHL)	1	33	10	15	25	0.76	132	24	1	13	3	5	8	0.62	82	3
International	10	77	9	13	22	0.29	56*	17*	0
KHL	1	25	4	6	10	0.40	24	5	0
NHL	24	1680	209	471	680	0.40	2085	301	16	200	18	52	70	0.35	218	50
OG	3	17	1	5	6	0.35	12	5	0
Slovakia	1	8	2	2	4	0.50	32	1	0
Slovakia U18	1	30	22	22	44	1.47	113	-	0
Slovakia U20	2	24	1	13	14	0.58	80	-	0
Slovakia2	1	15	2	4	6	0.40	16	2*	0
WC	7	55	8	6	14	0.25	40	21	0
WCup	2	10	2	2	4	0.40	14	-5	0
WHL	1	49	3	19	22	0.45	120	-5	1	15	1	7	8	0.53	45	6

Zdeno Chára Career Highlights

Season	Awards
1997-1998	AHL All-Rookie Team AHL All-Star Game
1999-2000	World Championship Silver Medal
2003-2004	NHL Best Defenseman (Norris Trophy) Finalist NHL First All-Star Team World Championship All-Star Team World Championship Top 3 Player on Team
2004-2005	Elitserien SM Silver Medal
2005-2006	NHL Second All-Star Team
2006-2007	NHL All-Star Game NHL Highest ATOI (27:57) World Championship Top 3 Player on Team
2007-2008	NHL All-Star Game NHL Best Defenseman (Norris Trophy) Finalist NHL Second All-Star Team
2008-2009	NHL All-Star Game NHL Best Defenseman (Norris Trophy) NHL Best Defenseman (Norris Trophy) Finalist NHL First All-Star Team Slovakian Player of the Year (Golden puck)
2010-2011	NHL All-Star Game NHL Best Defenseman (Norris Trophy) Finalist NHL Best Plus/Minus (+33) NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award (BOS) NHL Playoffs Best Plus/Minus by Defenseman (+16) NHL Second All-Star Team NHL Stanley Cup Champion Slovakian Player of the Year (Golden puck)
2011-2012	NHL All-Star Game (”C”) NHL Best Defenseman (Norris Trophy) Finalist NHL Second All-Star Team Slovakian Player of the Year (Golden puck) World Championship All-Star Team World Championship Best Defenseman World Championship Silver Medal World Championship Top 3 Player on Team
2012-2013	KHL All-Star Game (Selected, did not play) Slovakian Player of the Year (Golden puck)
2013-2014	NHL Best Defenseman (Norris Trophy) Finalist NHL First All-Star Team
2016-2017	World Cup Runner Up
2017-2018	Slovakian Player of the Year (Golden puck)
2018-2019	NHL Sportsmanship Award (Bill Masterton Trophy) Finalist Slovakian Player of the Year (Golden puck)
2021-2022	NHL Sportsmanship Award (Bill Masterton Trophy) Finalist
2024-2025	Hockey Hall of Fame IIHF Hall of Fame

Transactions

Date	Status	From	To
09/20/2022	Confirmed	Boston Bruins	Retired
09/18/2021	Confirmed	Washington Capitals	New York Islanders
12/30/2020	Confirmed	Boston Bruins	Washington Capitals
03/23/2019	Extension	Boston Bruins	Boston Bruins
03/28/2018	Extension	Boston Bruins	Boston Bruins
10/02/2012	Confirmed	Boston Bruins	HC Lev Praha
10/09/2010	Extension	Boston Bruins	Boston Bruins

Zdeno Chára Biography and Trivia

Drafted 1996, 1 #6 by Prince George Cougars in the CHL Import Draft
Number 33 retired by Boston Bruins
Cult/Star player for Boston Bruins
Cult/Star player for Färjestad BK
Cult/Star player for HK Dukla Trencin
Cult/Star player for Ottawa Senators
Cult/Star player for Slovakia

Career transactions
- 2012-10-02 • Signed to a lockout contract by HC Lev Praha | Full story
- 2010-10-09 • Signed to a seven-year contract extension by the Boston Bruins | $45,500,000 | Full story
- 2006-07-01 • Signed to a five-year contract by the Boston Bruins | $37,500,000 | Full story

• Chara owns the record for the hardest shot in the history of the NHL skills competition. 2009, Chara’s hardest shot measured 105.4 mph, which was 0.2 mph better than Al Iafrate’s previous record set in 1993.