Zdeno Chara signed a one-day contract with the Boston Bruins and announced his retirement on Tuesday after 24 seasons in the NHL and captaining Boston to the 2011 Stanley Cup. The six-foot defenseman from Slovakia is calling it a career at the age of 45. He returned to TD Garden in Boston to make the announcement two years after parting ways with the Bruins after 14 seasons. He returned to TD Garden to finish his professional career two years after leaving the Bruins after 14 seasons with the team. The proclamation printed on his ceremonial final contract spoke to this longevity in the sport. “Do you want to know what he says?” he asked the assembled crowd after signing. “Zdeno must agree to remain in good health and fitness at all times after retirement.” Chara called returning to the city of his greatest NHL triumphs to mark the end of his time on the ice “surreal.” But he said he is at peace with a decision made primarily to devote more time and energy to the family that has supported him throughout his career. “I have no regrets. I wouldn’t change a thing,” said Hara. “We’re in a business where we’re ultimately judged by winning, and we’ve had our ups and downs with it. But I walk away knowing that I gave it my all the whole time.” Chara won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2009 and also spent time with the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals.
Games played record for blue-liners
Known more for his ability to keep the puck out of the net than to put it in, Chara scored 237 goals and added 523 assists for 760 points in 1,880 regular season and playoff games. His 1,680 regular season games played is a record for a defenseman. Chara also leaves sixth in Bruins history in games played (1,023) and third in points by a defenseman (481), behind Hall of Famers Ray Bourque (1,506) and Bobby Orr (888). Chara is a candidate for the Hockey Hall of Fame based on not only his consistency but his stature in the game from Slovakia to North America. He captained two World Championship teams that won silver medals for his country, in 2000 and 2010. The affinity Chara’s former Boston teammates and coaches had for him was evident Tuesday with several of them including Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Tuukka Rask, Brandon Carlo, Jake DeBrusk, Matt Grzelcyk, Charlie Coyle, Charlie McAvoy and others in readiness for his news. conference. Chara was the second European captain to win the Cup, after Sweden’s Nicklas Lidstrom with Detroit. He was one of the faces of a winning season for the Bruins that included trips to the finals in 2013 and 2019, the latter of which ended with him playing with a broken jaw. Drafted by the Islanders in the third round in 1996, he played his first four seasons on Long Island before being traded to the Senators. Boston signing him in 2006 remains one of the most impressive free agency signings in the 17 years of the NHL’s salary cap era. Chara made five of his six all-star appearances while with the Bruins and was one of the city’s most popular athletes during that time. He left in 2020 when the team wouldn’t guarantee him a full-time job for the entire season, so he signed a one-year deal with Washington before finishing his career with the Islanders. But he said building a championship culture in Boston, which until 2011 hadn’t won a Stanley Cup Final since the 1971-72 season in Orr’s prime, was one of the things he cherishes most. “Because without that you can’t win. You have to have a culture. You have to have players who want to follow,” Chara said. “And it wasn’t just me. It was a team effort. I never would have done it without Patrice. I never would have done it without Brad coming in and following Patrice’s lead. “We had guys come in who were willing to come from different teams and adapt to that culture. We pushed each other. We set goals and slowly but surely climbed up and made the steps. “It was difficult at first,” added Hara. “It probably wasn’t easy and not everyone wanted to change. But it was necessary.”
NHL Ironman Yandle retires at 36
Defenseman Keith Yandle, whose streak of 989 consecutive games played is an NHL record, announced Tuesday that he is retiring after 16 seasons. “For the last year it’s one of those things I’ve been thinking about,” Yandle, 36, said on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast. “When that’s all you know in life, to give it up, to call it quits, it’s scary. You’re worried about what you’re going to do. Especially at this time, you’re going up for training camp. “The last couple of weeks I’ve been comfortable with it. I’ve really enjoyed spending time with the family … I think for me I’m really comfortable with it and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.” A fourth-round pick of the then-Phoenix Coyotes in 2005, Yandle played with the franchise from 2006-15, then with the New York Rangers (2015-16), Florida Panthers (2016-21) and Philadelphia Flyers ( 2021-). 22). It was with the Flyers that he set the NHL Ironman streak on Jan. 25 against the New York Islanders, breaking Doug Jarvis’ record of 964. Yandle played 25 more games until the streak ended on April 2, when the Flyers made him a healthy scratch, preferring to play younger players. In 77 games with the Flyers last season, he had one goal and 19 points. “My only hope is that he recognizes how amazing what he’s done is,” Flyers interim coach Mike Yeo said that day. “Sure, it’s disappointing for him, no question. But not many can say they’ve done something that no one in NHL history has ever done.” In 1,109 career games, Yandle scored 103 goals and 619 points with 16 game-winning goals. Yandle’s Ironman record probably won’t last long. Vegas Golden Knights forward Phil Kessel has played in 982 consecutive games.
Leafs add Dairy Farmers of Ontario logo to jerseys
The Toronto Maple Leafs will wear a “Milk” patch on their jerseys this season after partnering with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario. The multi-year deal comes into effect as the NHL introduces a sweater partner branding program that allows teams to sell advertising on their jerseys starting this upcoming season. The patch, featuring the long-standing Dairy Farmers of Ontario logo — the word “Milk” in a stylized font — will be added to the upper right of the Leafs’ jerseys. The patch will appear in blue on the Leafs’ white jerseys, and vice versa on their home jerseys. The Leafs will make their jersey debut on Saturday in a pre-season doubleheader against Ottawa. Toronto is the second Canadian team to add an advertising patch for the upcoming season, after the Montreal Canadiens reached an agreement with Royal Bank of Canada last week.
Blues’ Scandella out months after hip surgery
Days before training camp opens, the St. Louis Blues. Louis have a hole to fill on their blue line. Defenseman Marco Scandella is expected to miss most of the upcoming NHL season after undergoing surgery on his right hip joint. He was injured during offseason training in late August and will be reevaluated in six months. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong announced the timeline for Scandella’s absence on Tuesday. The first on-ice sessions of camp are scheduled for Thursday, with the season opener set for Oct. 15. Scandella’s injury is another change at a position that has undergone an almost complete overhaul since St. Louis won the Stanley Cup in 2019. Only top defenseman Colton Parayko and veteran grinder Robert Bortuzzo remain from that group, which now features Torey Krug and Justin Faulk in prominent roles. Scandella, 32, is expected to remain on long-term injured reserve, giving the Blues relief on his $3.275 million salary cap hit. Nikko Mikkola had already been considered for a full-time role at 26, and it wasn’t immediately clear whether Armstrong could bring in another veteran to compete for a roster spot. The injury could provide an opportunity for 24-year-old prospect Scott Perunovich, who played in 26 NHL games last season. Perunovich, who won the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s top college hockey player while at Minnesota-Duluth in 2019-20, impressed his teammates in his first year in the pros, especially when running the power play. Scandella joined the Blues in a trade from the Canadiens before the deadline in 2020. He has played in 755 games with Minnesota, Buffalo, Montreal and St. Louis.
