Zdeno Chara

The tallest player in NHL history and a legendary Bruins captain.

Zdeno Chára (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈzdenɔ ˈxaːra]; born 18 March 1977) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey player. As a defenceman, he played 24 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, and Washington Capitals between 1997 and 2022. Standing 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) tall, Chára is the tallest person ever to play in the NHL, earning him the nickname "Big Z". Internationally, he played for the Slovakia men's national team and won two silver medals at the Ice Hockey World Championships. At the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, he won a silver medal playing for Team Europe. In 2025, he was inducted into both the IIHF Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Quick Facts

Hall of Fame: 2025
Born: 18 March 1977
Birthplace: Trenčín, Czechoslovakia
Position: Defence
Shoots: Left
Draft: 56th overall
Drafted by: New York Islanders

Lore & Background

Chára served as the Bruins' captain for all of his fourteen seasons with the franchise, from 2006 to 2020. He won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenceman in 2009, becoming the first Slovak player to do so, and the second European player after Nicklas Lidström. In 2011, 2013 and 2019 Chára captained the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final, winning in 2011. He is one of five European-born and raised captains to lead his team to the Stanley Cup championship, and the first to be born and trained in the Eastern Bloc. In 2022, Chára played in his 1,652nd NHL game, making him the league's all-time leader in games played by a defenceman. He was the second to last active NHL player to play in the 1990s behind Joe Thornton.

Reader's Guide

Zdeno Chára was born on 18 March 1977, in Trenčín, Czechoslovakia, to parents Zdeněk and Veronika. Chára's father was a prominent Greco-Roman wrestler who represented Czechoslovakia at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Chára's initial exposure to organized hockey came with his hometown HC Dukla Trenčín, with whom he played four seasons during the mid-1990s. After being passed over in the 1995 draft, Chára was drafted in the third round, 56th overall, by the New York Islanders at the 1996 NHL entry draft.

He spent his first season in North America with the Western Hockey League's Prince George Cougars. Chára spent four seasons with the Islanders organization, becoming a reliable, stay-at-home defender. He was traded to the Ottawa Senators during the 2001 NHL entry draft as part of a deal to acquire Alexei Yashin. In Ottawa, he developed into an elite defenceman, posting career highs and earning Norris Trophy nominations.

On 1 July 2006, he signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract with the Boston Bruins and was named team captain. He won the Norris Trophy in 2009 and captained the Bruins to the Stanley Cup championship in 2011. He played for the Bruins until 2020, then finished his career with the Washington Capitals.

Did You Know?

He won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman in 2009, the first Slovak player to do so.
He is the NHL's all-time leader in games played by a defenceman, with 1,652 games.