Washington Capitals sign legend Zdeno Chara for $ 795,000 one-year deal

Washington Capitals sign legend Zdeno Chara for $ 795,000 one-year deal

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The Washington Capitals have signed defender Zdeno Chara to a one-time $ 795,000 transaction.

Chara, a six-time NHL All-Star and a 2011 Stanley Cup champion, is currently the oldest player in the league (43 years old) and the tallest player in NHL history (6-9).

The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell was the first to report the news.

“We are very pleased that Zdeno has joined the Capitals organization,” Brian MacLellan, general manager of Capitals, said in a statement. “We feel that his experience and leadership will strengthen our blueline and our team.”

Chara thanked Bruins fans and said goodbye on his personal Instagram.

His message is:

My family and I have been the home of the great city of Boston for over 14 years. Recently, The Boston Bruins informed me that they plan to continue with their many younger and talented players, and I respect their decision. Unfortunately, my time as the proud captain of the Bruins came to an end.

First of all, I want to thank the passionate and loyal Brown fans who have shared the pros and cons of each season for the past 14 years. I’m proud we were able to return the Stanley Cup to Boston and the celebration with you all in Boston, New England and around the world was a moment I will never forget. You have all treated my family and me as one of your own and I will always be grateful. Thank you.

I would also like to thank all the Bruins staff. The trainers, equipment staff, medical staff (all doctors, dentists and therapists), PR and hockey operations, the front office staff, arena staff, security and everyone who has helped make the past 14 years so memorable. Although there are too many names to list, please know how deeply I am grateful to each and every one of you.

I would like to thank the Jacobs family for the opportunity to represent the Bruins as their captain. I am grateful and proud of all we have accomplished.

For all my teammates through the years in Boston, I am so happy that I have a lifetime of memories that I will never forget. From the highest to the lowest lows we were always a team, we were always there for each other and those ties and friendships will never be forgotten.

My family and I will always cherish the strong friendships and bonds we have forged here. From the beginning in 2006, we have been embraced and welcomed by this community. We will always be grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the community and for the people who have always supported me and my family.

As I begin this next chapter, I want the people of Boston to know how proud I was of a brownie and how grateful I am for all the support I have received over the years. “Thank you” does not seem sufficient to express my sincere thanks. I will always be a Brown. I will always love Boston.

Thank you.
Sea

Chara has played with the Boston Bruins for the past 14 seasons and was the team’s captain. The Capitals’ money for Chara was probably opened after co-legend Henrik Lundqvist was forced out of next season due to a heart condition.

During his 22 seasons in the NHL, Chara scored 205 goals and scored 656 points in 1,553 games. Chara won the NHL’s Hardest Shot competition in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012.. He possesses the toughest shot of all time with a stroke of 108.8 mph in 2012.

Chara is known for his tireless work ethic and toughness. In 2019, Chara played several shit breaks during Games Five, Six and Seven of the Championship Series.

His euphoric joy over the lifting of the Stanley Cup in 2011 is only matched in recent memory by Alex Ovechkin in 2018.

Here are some fun, physical videos of Chara playing against the capitals.

I think he’s going to fit in well!

More from the capitals:

ARLINGTON, Va. The Washington Capitals have agreed to sign defender Zdeno Chara on a $ 795,000 one-year contract, senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today.

Chara (43) scored 14 points (5g, 9a) in 68 games with the Boston Bruins last season. The native of Trencin, Slovakia, recorded 3:11 time per game to reach 11th place in the NHL and help the Bruins with the third best penalty kill percentage last season (84.3). Chara also finished second among defenders of the Browns in blocks (101).

Before joining Washington, Chara was the longest-serving captain in the league, having carried the C for the Bruins since his first season in Boston in 2006-’07. He is 6 feet 9 and weighs 250 pounds and is also the tallest player to ever play in the NHL. Chara enters his 23rd career season in the NHL. Among active NHL players, Chara is first in plus / minus (+288), time on ice (37,128: 55), penalty minutes (1,956), third in games played (1,553) and ninth in shots (3 271). He is one of six Bruins to have appeared in at least 1,000 games (1,023), and his 481 points (148 g, 333 a) are third among Bruins defenders in franchise history, behind Hall of Famers Ray Bourque (1 506) and Bobby Orr (888).

In 1,553 careers with the Bruins, New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators – the sixth most games in NHL history among defenders – Chara has 656 points (205g, 451a).

A Stanley Cup champion alongside Boston in 2011, Chara became the second European-born captain to win the Stanley Cup (Nicklas Lidstrom) and the first from a country behind the Iron Curtain (Czechoslovakia). Chara scored 70 points (18g, 52a) in 195 playoff games, the ninth most playoff games by a defender in NHL history and the most among active defenders.

During his 22-year NHL career, Chara has received several individual accolades. He was awarded the Norris Trophy as the best defender in the NHL in 2008-09 after scoring a career-high 19 goals and 31 assists in 80 games with Boston. He was the recipient of the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2010-11 for his exemplary leadership on and off the ice. He was named to the NHL First All-Star Team three times (2003-04, 2008-09, 2013-14), the second All-Star Team four times (2005-06, 2007-08, 2010-11, 2011- 12) and is a six-time NHL All-Star (2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2011-12). He was also three times the recipient of the Golden Puk as Slovakia’s Player of the Year (2008-09, 2010-11, 2011-12).

Chara has represented his native Slovakia on several occasions in international play, including three Olympic Games (2006, 2010, 2014), in which he scored one goal and five assistants in 17 matches. Recently, Chara served as alternate captain for Team Europe during the 2016 World Cup hockey, scoring two goals in six games to lead the team to second place after Team Canada.

Chara was originally selected by the New York Islanders in the third round (56th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.

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