Any NHL forward ventured into the zone and set up in front of the net or retrieve a loose puck in a corner quickly became acquainted with the 6-foot-9, 250-pound defenseman.

Known as "Big Z," Chara cast a huge shadow of accomplishment over the NHL since his arrival as a third-round selection (No. 56) by the New York Islanders in the 1996 NHL Draft.

The were documented. Chara won the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL in 2009, and the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011, becoming only the second European born-and-trained captain to lift the trophy, after Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings, and the first from a country behind the Iron Curtain (Czechoslovakia). Chara was also a flag bearer for Slovakia during the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Chara made the move from European hockey to Prince George of the Western Hockey League in 1996 and split time during the 1997-98 season with Kentucky of the American Hockey League and the Islanders. After four seasons with the Islanders, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators on June 23, 2001.

Chara's game continued to evolve in Ottawa, and in 2003 he played his first NHL All-Star Game. His point totals rose in each of his four seasons with the Senators (23, 39, 41, 43), but Ottawa decided it couldn't afford to keep both Chara and Wade Redden, and let Chara become a free agent.

The Boston Bruins quickly signed Chara to a five-year contract July 1, 2006, and named him captain Oct. 3, a title he held throughout his 14-season tenure, the second-longest in team history behind Ray Bourque (15, the first three seasons were shared with Rick Middleton).

In 2010-11, Chara led the NHL in plus-minus (plus-33) and finished with 44 points (14 goals, 30 assists), helping the Bruins win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972. His plus-16 rating during the Stanley Cup Playoffs was also a League-high.

He continued to be effective into his early 40s, taking a regular shift while helping to mentor the next generation of Boston defensemen, including Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy.

Chara set the record for most NHL games played by a defenseman, 1,652 to pass Chris Chelios, when the Islanders lost 4-3 in a shootout to the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 25, 2022.

Chara retired from the NHL on Sept. 20, 2022, signing a one-day contract with the Bruins. He ended his NHL career by scoring his second goal of the season at 19:16 of the third period in a 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on April 29. Fans serenaded him with chants of "Char-a! Char-a!" the Lightning stayed on the ice after the game to shake his hand and the Islanders sent him through a handshake line.

Chara was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame and the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame with the Class of 2025. The Bruins named him a hockey operations adviser and mentor Sept. 25 and announced his No. 33 will be retired before their game against the Seattle Kraken at TD Garden on Jan. 15, 2026.