Zdeno Chara named hockey operations advisor, mentor for Boston Bruins
Zdeno Chara has a new role with the Boston Bruins. The former Bruins captain and Stanley Cup champ has been named a hockey operations advisor and mentor for Boston.
The Bruins announced Chara's new role with the team on Thursday. The 48-year-old will work closely with both Bruins players and staffers, and his primary responsibilities will include "building relationships and strengthening communication between players and coaches, attending practices and home games, and providing off-ice development support to defensemen."
Chara will also work with the team's development staff and make periodic visits to connect with the organization's prospects at the AHL level.
"The Bruins organization is excited and proud to welcome back Zdeno," Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney said in a release announcing Chara's new role. "In his role as an advisor and mentor, Zdeno will share with our players and coaches his experience as a dedicated athlete, a respected leader and one of the NHL's all-time greats."
In his new gig, Chara will be reunited with his former Bruins teammate Marco Sturm, who is entering his first year as Boston's head coach.
"Having played alongside Zdeno, I know firsthand the leadership, work ethic and professionalism he brings every day," said Sturm. "We're thrilled to have him back with the Bruins in this role, where his knowledge of the game will be a great resource for our players and staff."
Zdeno Chara's career with the Boston Bruins
Chara spent 14 of his 24 NHL seasons with the Bruins, and was the team's captain for his entire run in Boston. His shutdown defense on the blue line was a big reason the Bruins won a Stanley Cup title in 2011, and Boston made it to two other Cup Finals during Chara's tenure.
Chara made six All-Star teams while with the Bruins and won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 2009. He finished his Boston career with 148 goals and 333 assists, and is in the the Bruins' Top 10 in games played (ranking eighth with 1,023 games), plus-minus (tenth at plus-240), defensive point shares (second with 70.6), and penalty minutes (seventh with 1,055).
Chara was enshrined in the Pro Hockey Hall of Fame over the summer in his first year of eligibility.