Eliteprospects
Slovakia Czechia Zdeno Chára
#33 New York Islanders / NHL - 21/22
6-time Slovakian Player of the Year (Golden puck) 6
2-time World Championship Silver Medal 2
1-time AHL All-Rookie Team 1
1-time NHL Best Defenseman (Norris Trophy) 1
3-time NHL First All-Star Team 3
1-time NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award 1
4-time NHL Second All-Star Team 4
1-time NHL Stanley Cup Champion 1
2-time World Championship All-Star Team 2
1-time World Championship Best Defenseman 1
Date of Birth
Mar 18, 1977
Position
D
Age
47
Height
6'9" / 205 cm
Place of Birth
Trencin, SVK
Weight
249 lbs / 113 kg
Nation
Slovakia / Czechia
Shoots
L
Youth Team
HK Dukla Trencin
Status
Retired
Drafted
1996 round 3 #56 overall by New York Islanders
Agency
PREMIUM

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)

© Photo: Dan Hickling

Use/Embed statistics

Zdeno Chára Statistics

S Team League GP G A TP PIM +/-   POST GP G A TP PIM +/-
1994-95 HK Dukla Trencin U18 Slovakia U18 30* 22* 22* 44* 113* -* |
HK Dukla Trencin U20 Slovakia U20 2* 0* 0* 0* 0* -* |
1995-96 HK Dukla Trencin U20 Slovakia U20 22* 1* 13* 14* 80* -* |
HK Dukla Trencin II Slovakia2 5* 1* 1* 2* 6* 2* |
SHK 37 Piestany Slovakia2 10* 1* 3* 4* 10* -* |
HC Sparta Praha U20 Czechia U20 15* 1* 2* 3* 42* -* |
HC Sparta Praha Czechia 1* 0* 0* 0* 0* -* |
1996-97 Prince George Cougars WHL 49* 3* 19* 22* 120* -5* | Playoffs 15 1 7 8 45 6
1997-98 New York Islanders NHL 25* 0* 1* 1* 50* 1* |
Kentucky Thoroughblades AHL 48* 4* 9* 13* 125* 0* | Playoffs 1 0 0 0 4 1
1998-99 New York Islanders NHL 59* 2* 6* 8* 83* -8* |
Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 23* 2* 2* 4* 47* 5* |
Slovakia WC 6* 1* 0* 1* 6* 4* |
Slovakia (all) International 6* 1* 0* 1* 6* 4* |
1999-00 New York Islanders NHL 65* 2* 9* 11* 57* -27* |
Slovakia “A” WC 9* 0* 0* 0* 12* 1* |
Slovakia (all) International 9* 0* 0* 0* 12* 1* |
2000-01 New York Islanders “A” NHL 82* 2* 7* 9* 157* -27* |
Slovakia WC 7* 0* 1* 1* 10* 1* |
Slovakia (all) International 7* 0* 1* 1* 10* 1* |
2001-02 HK Dukla Trencin Slovakia 8* 2* 2* 4* 32* 1* |
Ottawa Senators NHL 75* 10* 13* 23* 156* 30* | Playoffs 10 0 1 1 12 4
2002-03 Ottawa Senators NHL 74* 9* 30* 39* 116* 29* | Playoffs 18 1 6 7 14 4
2003-04 Ottawa Senators “A” NHL 79* 16* 25* 41* 147* 33* | Playoffs 7 1 1 2 8 3
Slovakia “A” WC 9* 2* 0* 2* 2* 6* |
Slovakia (all) International 13* 2* 2* 4* 10* 1* |
2004-05 Färjestad BK Elitserien 33* 10* 15* 25* 132* 24* | Playoffs 13 3 5 8 82 3
Slovakia WCup 4* 0* 2* 2* 8* -5* |
Slovakia WC 7* 0* 2* 2* 2* 1* |
Slovakia (all) International 7* 0* 2* 2* 2* 1* |
2005-06 Ottawa Senators “A” NHL 71* 16* 27* 43* 135* 17* | Playoffs 10 1 3 4 23 0
Slovakia OG 6* 1* 1* 2* 2* 6* |
Slovakia (all) International 6* 1* 1* 2* 2* 6* |
2006-07 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 80* 11* 32* 43* 100* -21* |
Slovakia “A” WC 7* 3* 1* 4* 4* 4* |
Slovakia (all) International 8* 3* 1* 4* -* -* |
2007-08 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 77* 17* 34* 51* 114* 14* | Playoffs 7 1 1 2 12 -1
2008-09 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 80* 19* 31* 50* 95* 23* | Playoffs 11 1 3 4 12 1
2009-10 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 80* 7* 37* 44* 87* 19* | Playoffs 13 2 5 7 29 1
Slovakia “C” OG 7* 0* 3* 3* 6* 0* |
Slovakia (all) International 7* 0* 3* 3* 6* 0* |
2010-11 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 81* 14* 30* 44* 88* 33* | Playoffs 24 2 7 9 34 16
2011-12 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 79* 12* 40* 52* 86* 33* | Playoffs 7 1 2 3 8 -1
Slovakia “C” WC 10* 2* 2* 4* 4* 4* |
Slovakia (all) International 10* 2* 2* 4* 4* 4* |
2012-13 HC Lev Praha “C” KHL 25* 4* 6* 10* 24* 5* |
Boston Bruins “C” NHL 48* 7* 12* 19* 70* 14* | Playoffs 22 3 12 15 20 7
2013-14 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 77* 17* 23* 40* 66* 25* | Playoffs 12 2 2 4 14 4
Slovakia “C” OG 4* 0* 1* 1* 4* -1* |
Slovakia (all) International 4* 0* 1* 1* 4* -1* |
2014-15 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 63* 8* 12* 20* 42* 0* |
2015-16 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 80* 9* 28* 37* 71* 12* |
2016-17 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 75* 10* 19* 29* 59* 18* | Playoffs 6 0 1 1 2 -3
Team Europe “A” WCup 6* 2* 0* 2* 6* 0* |
2017-18 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 73* 7* 17* 24* 60* 22* | Playoffs 12 1 2 3 4 7
2018-19 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 62* 5* 9* 14* 57* 22* | Playoffs 23 2 4 6 16 11
2019-20 Boston Bruins “C” NHL 68* 5* 9* 14* 60* 26* | Playoffs 13 0 2 2 8 -4
2020-21 Washington Capitals NHL 55* 2* 8* 10* 44* 5* | Playoffs 5 0 0 0 2 1
2021-22 New York Islanders NHL 72* 2* 12* 14* 85* 8* |

Zdeno Chára Career Totals

League Years GP G A TP PPG PIM +/- | Years 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 * * * * * *
International 10 77* 9* 13* 22* 0.29* 56* 17* | 0 * * * * * *
KHL 1 25* 4* 6* 10* 0.40* 24* 5* | 0 * * * * * *
NHL 24 1 680* 209* 471* 680* 0.40* 2 085* 301* | 16 200 18 * 52 * 70 * 0.35 * 218 * 50 *
OG 3 17* 1* 5* 6* 0.35* 12* 5* | 0 * * * * * *
Elitserien (SHL) 1 33* 10* 15* 25* 0.76* 132* 24* | 1 13 3 * 5 * 8 * 0.62 * 82 * 3 *
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 *
* Some data is missing to provide a correct summary.

Zdeno Chára Career Highlights

Season
Awards by season
Transactions
DATE STATUS FROM TO SOURCE
09/20/2022
09/20/2022 Confirmed Boston Bruins Retired
09/18/2021
09/18/2021 Confirmed Washington Capitals New York Islanders
12/30/2020
12/30/2020 Confirmed Boston Bruins Washington Capitals
03/23/2019
03/23/2019 Extension Boston Bruins Boston Bruins
03/28/2018
03/28/2018 Extension Boston Bruins Boston Bruins
10/02/2012
10/02/2012 Confirmed Boston Bruins HC Lev Praha
10/09/2010
10/09/2010 Extension Boston Bruins Boston Bruins
Player Biography and Trivia

Drafted 1996, 1 #6 overall by Prince George Cougars in the CHL Import Draft

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.