The Boston Bruins have announced the return of Zdeno Chara. That’s right, Big Z is back!! Chara served as team captain for 14 seasons, most notably during the 2011 Stanley Cup run, and is back in black with a new title. Chara will represent the Bruins as a Hockey Operations Advisor and Mentor. Specifically, he will build relationships and strengthen communication between players and coaches by attending practices, home games and providing off-ice development support to the defensemen. He will also play a role with the Bruins development staff and periodically attend Providence Bruins games.
“The Bruins organization is excited and proud to welcome back Zdeno,” said Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney. “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.”
Speaking to the media, Chara was not shy about his enthusiasm towards the new role. “Definitely I’m excited,” he said. “I’m honored to be back with the team and working with the coaching staff, management and players. It is definitely something new. Something that I can bring a lot [to]. But at the same time, I’ll be learning a lot, too,” Chara said. “It is nice to be back, interacting with players, learning from coaches. Obviously, I know how it is to be a player. It is a little bit different to be on the other side. But at the same time, I can relate to a lot of things that I experienced as a player.” He sure can.
The Bruins turned their entire franchise around after signing Chara as a free agent back in 2006. The team isn’t quite as dire as currently constructed like it was back then but after waving goodbye to so many long time Bruins over the last three seasons, the second coming of Zdeno Chara and his mere presence is welcomed. I for one will be glad to see the near seven-foot Slovak back in the TD Garden. Whether on skates, in a track suit or marathon attire, there’s just something about his giant frame that IS the Boston Bruins. Current players are excited about the former Norris winner’s return as well. “Guys like that don’t grow on trees. The experience that he has, the person he is, the leader. To have him here is going to be extremely impactful on all of us,” Charlie McAvoy said. “Every day, he brought it. Every single day, he led by example. He was the hardest-working guy out there. He’s in the gym early, he’s doing more, he’s here early, he leaves late. You just saw what it meant to him.” Added McAvoy; “There’s so many alumni here that you can see what it means to them to have been a Bruin, to be a Bruin, and a lot of guys that come back, its full circle, right?”
Count new coach, and former Bruins teammate, Marco Sturm as another happy to see Chara back in the fold. “It’s great to see him back. I talked to him a few times over the summer, and when I got back to Boston. I could tell right away he wanted to come back,” Sturm said. “He loves the game. He loves the Bruins culture, and we just want to take advantage.”
“I’m just another asset they can use, to pick the brain, to help, to give them the advice on certain situations,” Chara said. “First and foremost, I think they are just really good people. They care. Everybody knows they’re amazing players. I think they have good intentions and it just takes a little bit of time to grow into that role, to feel comfortable, and we all went through it. Just if I can be a help, maybe guidance, or a little bit of mentorship in that department to help them grow as people and as [men] and as leaders, that’s what I’m going to do.”
With the Bruins in a transitional period and new faces both on the ice and on the bench, an old familiar friend has chosen to be a part of the next era in Boston.
“This is all about communication, being open with each other and having the transparency with players and with the coaches. We all work for the same goal, which is to improve and get the maximum potential and performance from our team,” Chara said. “It’s been an unbelievable 20-plus years. Living here, being part of the Original Six franchise. My family has been raised here, we stay here, we live here. It became home. That’s why I am here.”
Talk about a welcome addition to a franchise looking to rediscover itself. There may not be a more important player over the past twenty years to the Bruins and their culture. From the players to coaches and even the fans, everyone agrees, it’s good to see Chara back where he belongs.
G-Rant @TheRealG_Rant/Grant Cumming. Bruins fan. Bigger dreams, bigger screens, bigger feelings are planned.
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