Zdeno Chára Wiki Biography Facts, Life Story & More

Zdeno Chara Wiki Chara, a Slovak professional hockey defenseman, currently plays for Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Zdeno was a player for the Bruins from 2008-09. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy.

He stands 6 feet 9 inches (2.06m) tall, making him the tallest NHL player. Zdeno is also the second European-born, trained captain to win Stanley Cup. He was also the first European-born, trained captain.

Zdeno Chára Wiki Biography

Zdeno Chara, a former professional ice hockey defenseman from Slovakia, was born in Trencin on March 18, 1977.

Between 1997 and 2022, he played 24 seasons for the National Hockey League (NHL), including the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators.

He also played for the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals. Chara, who stands 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m), is the NHL’s tallest player. Chara was the Bruins’ captain from 2006 to 2020.

In 2009, Chara won the Norris Trophy for league’s best defenceman, becoming the first Slovak player and the second European after Nicklas Lidstrom. Chara led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2013, 2013, and 2019.

Along with Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Gabriel Landeskog, he is one of four European-born captains who led his team to the Stanley Cup championship.

He was also the first Eastern Bloc native to have been trained and born in Europe. Chara participated in his 1,652nd NHL match in 2022. He is now the league’s leader in games played and played by a defenseman.

Zdeno Chára Wiki Biography

Real Name   Zdeno Chára
Nick Name/Celebrated Name  Big Z
Date Of Birth/Birthday  18 March 1977
Birth Place  Trencin, Slovakia
 Age  45 years
Zodiac Sign   Pisces
Gender  Male
Is  Athlete
Profession  Professional Ice Hockey Player
Teams  New York Islanders
Education  Algonquin College Ottawa Campus (2001–2005)
Nationality  Slovak
Religion  Christianity
Net Worth  $50 million
Ethnicity  polyglot
Sexual Orientation  Straight

 

Interesting Facts about Zdeno Chara

  • Right to Play’s athletic ambassador is his name.
  • In support of the charity, he spent two weeks in Mozambique.
  • Robin Regehr, an ex-NHL player, was with him when he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
  • He was among the first NHL players.
  • He was open to gay hockey players. He also supported You Can Play.
  • He is a polyglot.
  • He speaks 6 languages outside his native Slovak.
  • He speaks English, Russian, Polish, German, and Swedish languages.
  • He is a graduate of Algonquin College’s Financial Planning Diploma in Ottawa.
  • In 2015, he was granted a license to market real estate in Massachusetts.
  • Because of his height, his coaches tried to convince him that he should play basketball.
  • He joined the NHL in 2004.

Zdeno Chára Personal life

He married Tatiana Biskupikova, his long-term girlfriend, at a Catholic Church in Nemova (Slovakia), on 14 July 2007.

Chara was born to Tatiana Biskupikova on 27 April 2009. They had a daughter, Alice Victoria Chara (Charova).

Tatiana Biskupikova, a Tatiana Biskupikova mother to twin boys she named Zack (Charova) on 7 March 2016. Chara’s father Zdenek Chara was a well-known Greco-Roman wrestler.

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Zdeno Chára Professional Career And Playing Career

New York Islanders (1997-2001)

Chara was passed over in 1995’s draft and was drafted by the New York Islanders in the 56th round of the NHL Entry Draft 1996.

Chara would spend his first season with the Western Hockey League’s Prince George Cougars in North America.

Chara was then selected in the CHL Import Draft. Chara was a reliable, at-home defender who played a primarily defensive role for the Islanders over four seasons.

Chara was a formidable player, intimidating and physically strong, as well as a punishing hitter who could sometimes fight.

Chara’s physical strength gave him an extremely hard slap shot. However, he was never used offensively as an Islander.

Chara was traded to Ottawa Senators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft to acquire forward Alexei Yashin.

It was believed that the deal would greatly improve the Islanders’ chances of contending, as Chara had never played for them.

Chara was part of a package deal that also included Bill Muckalt, the second overall pick in that year’s draft, and Jason Spezza.

Initially, the Islanders had planned to trade Chara to Boston Bruins for Jason Allison. However, team ownership decided against the deal as it would have included Dave Scatchard.

They did not want to trade Scatchard since they liked him because he visited sick children in the hospital.

Ottawa Senators (2001-2006)

Chara in 2006 during his time with the Ottawa Senators

Chara was a reliable defender. The Senators also knew that he was improving each year and growing in his body. Chara’s growth was beyond all expectations.

Chara became a true two-way defenseman in his first year in Ottawa in 2001-02. He set new career records in points (23) and goals (10) during that time.

He continued to improve his powerful slapshot, and Ottawa began to use the power play to make it work, something that the Islanders rarely did.

This led to Chara scoring four goals with the man advantage in that season.

Chara blossomed into an elite NHL defenseman the following year in 2002-03. With 30 assists and 39 goals, Chara set new career records and was ranked alongside Wade Redden as one of Ottawa’s best defenders.

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He was also the first NHL All-Star Game participant, recording the second-hardest shot in the Skills Competition behind Al MacInnis.

Chara’s career highs of 16 goals and 41 points in 2003-04 were his best. He also had the NHL’s third-highest plus-minus rating behind Martin St. Louis (Marek Malik) and earned his first James Norris Memorial Trophy nod.

He lost to Scott Niedermayer in the NHL’s top defenseman competition, but he was a part of the NHL First All-Star Team.

Chara was a Farjestad BK Swedish Elitserien player in the 2004-05 NHL lockout. He matched his previous NHL season’s 16-goal total and scored a career-high 43 points.

This earned him NHL Second All-Star Team honors. The Senators signed Redden after Ottawa faced the possibility of losing its top defensemen, Chara and Redden.

Chara was not able to agree to a new contract, so he was an unrestricted agent at the conclusion of 2005-06. It was a mistake to choose Redden over Chara.

Redden’s performance plummeted while Chara became one of the top league defensemen.

 

Boston Bruins (2006-2020)

Boston in the early years, Norris Trophy, and Stanley Cup

Chara signed a $57.5 million, five-year contract with the Boston Bruins on the first day of the free agency period.

Chara was also named team captain after Joe Thornton left San Jose for San Jose during 2005-06.

Chara was the third Slovak-born NHL hockey player to be named team captain. He follows Peter Stastny (Quebec Nordiques) and Stan Mikita, co-captain of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Chara was selected to the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas, where he scored two goals during a 12-9 Eastern Conference defeat.

Chara won the Skills Competition’s hardest shot segment with a shot of 100.4 mph.  His season was a personal success because of many reasons.

However, the Bruins were rebuilding at the time and Chara’s uncharacteristic -21 plus/minus rating for that season was due to their struggles.

His 32 assists were a career record. Chara (left), Dave Lewis (center), and Phil Kessel(right) celebrate Columbus Day 2006 with the USS Doyle crew.

Chara was elected a starter in the 2008 NHL All-Star Game. This was the first time Chara had received All-Star Game honors in his career.

Chara was again the winner of the hardest shot contest, recording a faster 103.1 mph (166 km/h), using the radar gun.

Chara was injured in the left shoulder during a Washington Capitals game on March 8, 2008.

He returned to play the rest of the season, including the 2008 playoffs, even though he had missed five games.

After being eliminated in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens on April 29, Chara had to have a shoulder operation.

Chara was nominated for the Norris Trophy for the second time. He had a career-high of 17 goals, 34 assists, and 51 points.

This marked the fifth consecutive season in which he has matched or exceeded his previous season’s total.

This season saw a tremendous improvement in the Bruins, and those who had criticized Chara’s signing were mostly silenced by his and the team’s improved play.

Chara was selected to his fourth All-Star Game in 2008-09. Chara, back-to-back champion in the hardest shot competition initiated a charity drive ($1,000 per participant) to benefit the winner’s charity.

In 2009, the event was installed with additional intrigue. Three players, Sheldon Souray, Chara, and Shea Weber, were widely considered to have the NHL’s hardest shots and would therefore participate in the event.

Chara broke the Skills Competition record by setting a 105.4mph (169.7km/h) slapshot. He had raised $24,000 from six competitors, their teams, the NHL, and the National Hockey League Players Association.

Chara donated the winnings to Right to Play and the hard shot competition was aptly called a Chara charity event because of Chara’s leadership in fundraising for charity. The shot beat Al Iafrate’s record of 105.2mph (169.3km/h) set in 1993.

Chara had a season-best of 19 goals, eclipsed his career-best points total, and reached the 50-point plateau for the second year in a row with a goal, assist, and a goal in his last game of the season.

He was awarded the Norris Trophy for NHL’s best defenseman. He topped Mike Green from the Washington Capitals and Nicklas Lidstrom from the Detroit Red Wings. Chara scored 44 points in 2009-10, another outstanding season.

Although his goal total dropped to seven, Chara’s play was strong enough to warrant a contract extension by the Bruins. He signed a seven-year contract with the Bruins on October 9, 2010.  

Chara’s 2014 goals and 44 points in 2010-11 were other strong campaigns that led to another All-Star selection.

His slapshot also continued to set new records at Raleigh’s 2011 All-Star Game. With a shot of 105.9 mph (170.43 kilometers/h), he eclipsed his previous record.

Chara also reached a personal milestone, which is extremely rare for a defenseman. On 17 January 2011, Chara scored his first career hat trick against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Retired Slovakian NHL star Peter Bondra performed the celebration in which he threw a hat in the air and celebrated his feat.

Chara’s ultimate triumph was the 2010-11 season when he coached the Bruins to the Stanley Cup victory against the Vancouver Canucks.

This was the Boston team’s first Stanley Cup title win since 1972. Chara became the first Slovak captain to win the Stanley Cup, the second European after Nicklas Lidstrom from Sweden for the Detroit Red Wings.

Chara was also the first Stanley Cup winner to be born in a country other than the Iron Curtain.

2011 Pacioretty incident

Chara drove Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty’s skull into an off-ice stanchion, knocking him unconscious.

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Pacioretty was carried off the ice by a stretcher. Pacioretty was taken off the ice on a stretcher. The injury was revealed to be a nondisplaced fracture of the fourth vertebrae and a severe concussion.

Chara was given a five-minute penalty for delivering the hit. Game misconduct was also issued.

Videotapes of the play were sent to Mike Murphy, the NHL vice president of hockey operations, for review.

Murphy called it a “hockey-play” and decided that no additional punishment was necessary.

The Montreal Police Service announced a criminal investigation immediately after the incident.

However, the Crown Prosecutor’s Office declared on 17 November 2011 that Chara would not face criminal charges. Pacioretty made a complete recovery and returned to Montreal the next season.

The NHL later tested the curved glass on its rinks and mandated that they have it installed at the ends of player benches to reduce similar impacts.

Boston: Final year

Chara set a new record at the 2012 All-Star Game’s Hardest Shot skill contest, achieving 108.8mph (175.1 km/h) Chara’s 2011 event record was broken by Shea Weber, who recorded a 106.0mph blast in the same contest.

Chara’s performance however ensured that he retained his title.  

Chara is widely believed to have the NHL’s hardest slapshot. However, the Kontinental Hockey League claims that Alex Riazantsev holds the record at 114.1 mph.

The NHL doesn’t recognize this number due to differences in KHL competition mechanics. Chara was awarded the All-Star Game Skills Competition’s hardest shot competition five times.

This happened in 2007, 2008 and 2009, 2011, and 2012. (Note: The NHL did not recognize Chara in the NHL All-Star Game in 2010 due to NHL players participating in the 2010 Winter Olympics and in 2013 because of the NHL lockout in 2012-13).

Chara played his 1,000th NHL game against the Los Angeles Kings on March 24, 2012. It ended in a 4-2 win for the Bruins.

Chara signed up to play in the KHL for Lev Praha during the NHL lockout of 2012-13. After the lockout, Chara posted another solid season with 7 goals and 12 assists during the 48-game season.

He saw his point totals drop due to Boston’s struggles in the final stretch, especially on the power play where Chara only managed one assist despite playing a lot of man-advantage situations.

He was a solid defender and a key contributor to the Bruins. He was physically dominant in the playoffs and played a crucial role in leading his team into the Finals.

Chara was named as a finalist in the Norris Trophy after the 2013-14 season. Along with Shea Weber and Duncan Keith, he was nominated. Chara was runner-up.

Chara, who was nearly twenty years older than Brandon Carlo at 6-foot-5, was part of the Bruin’s top defensive pairing.

Chara was part of a similar “pairing” as the 2017-18 season began. Charlie McAvoy, an American-born star defenseman, had become Chara’s latest “regular partner” in defensive duties by the Bruins around mid-November.

Chara was playing in his 1,400th NHL match in a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in February 2018. This is only the 39th milestone in NHL history.

Chara was signed by the Bruins to a $5 million, one-year contract extension on 28 March 2018.

Chara was the oldest defenseman to score a Stanley Cup-winning goal in NHL history, scoring in game 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on 17 April 2019.   

Chara also scored an empty goal during game 6 against the St. Louis Blues on 9 June 2019.

Chara, who was the oldest active NHL player, became the oldest on July 10, 2019, after Matt Cullen’s retirement.

Chara became the 21st NHL player to play 1,500 regular-season games during a game played at the Bell Centre against Montreal Canadiens on 5 November 2019.

Washington Capitals (2020-2021).

Chara signed a $795,000 one-year contract with Washington Capitals on December 30, 2020. On 28 January 2021, he scored his first goal against the New York Islanders.

Retirement and return to the Islanders (2021-2022).

Chara signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders on 18 September 2021. Chara played 1,652 NHL games on 24 February 2022.

This surpasses Chris Chelios’ record of 1,651 games by a defenseman. He was also a finalist in the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

It is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities “of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey”.

Chara announced his retirement as a professional hockey player on 20 September 2022. To officially retire from the Boston Bruins, Chara signed a one-day contract.

Zdeno Chara International Career

Chara represented Slovakia at ten international tournaments. He has played in the World Championships (1999-2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2007, and 2012), as well as the Olympics (2006, 2010, and 2014).

In 2000, he won the World Championship silver medal. He was later to captain Slovakia to its second silver medal in 2010.

He competed in both the 2004 World Cup of Hockey For Slovakia and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey For Team Europe.

Chara was the flag bearer of Slovakia during the opening ceremony for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Chara was inducted into the IIHF All-Time Slovakia Team in 2020.

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Zdeno Chara Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Season Team League GP G A PTS PIM GP G A PT  PIM
1994–95 Dukla Trenčín SVK U18 30 22 22 44 113
1994–95 Dukla Trenčín  SVK U20 2 0 0 0 0
1995–96 Dukla Trenčín SVK U20 22 1 13 14 80
1995–96 Dukla Trenčín II SVK.2 5 1 1 2 6
1995–96 ŠHK 37 Piešťany SVK.2 10 1 3 4 10
1995–96 Sparta Praha CZE U20 15 1 2 3 42
1995–96 Sparta Praha ELH 1 0 0 0 0
1996–97 Prince George Cougars WHL 49 3 19 22 120 15 1 7 8 45
1997–98 Kentucky Thoroughbreds AHL 48 4 9 13 125 1 0 0 0 4
1997–98 New York Islanders NHL 25 0 1 1 50
1998–99 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 23 2 2 4 47
1998–99 New York Islanders NHL 59 2 6 8 83
1999–2000 New York Islanders AHL 65 2 9 11 57
2000–01 New York Islanders NHL 82 2 7 9 157
2001–02 Dukla Trenčín SVK 8 2 2 4 32
2001–02 Ottawa Senators NHL 75 10 13 23 156 10 0 1 1 12
2002–03 Ottawa Senators SVK 74 9 30 39 116 18 1 6 7 14
2003-04 Ottawa Senators NHL 79 16 25 41 147 7 1 1 2 8
2004–05 Färjestad BK SEL 33 10 15 25 132 13 3 5 8 82
2005–06 Ottawa Senators NHL 71 16 27 43 135 10 1 3 4 23
2006–07 Boston Bruins SEL 80 11 32 43 100
2007–08 Boston Bruins NHL 77 17 34 51 114 7 1 1 2 12
2008–09 Boston Bruins NHL 80 19 31 50 95 11 1 3 4 12
2009–10 Boston Bruins NHL 80 7 37 44 87 13 2 5 7 29
2010–11 Boston Bruins NHL 81 14 30 44 88 24 2 7 9 34
2011-12 Boston Bruins NHL 79 12 40 52 86 7 1 2 3 8
2012-13 Lev Praha KHL 25 4 6 10 24
2012-13 Boston Bruins NHL 48 7 12 19 70 22 3 12 15 20
2013–14 Boston Bruins NHL 77 17 23 40 66 12 2 2 4 14
2014–15 Boston Bruins NHL 63 8 12 20 42
2015–16 Boston Bruins NHL 79 9 28 37 71
2016–17 Boston Bruins NHL 75 10 19 29 59 6 0 2 1 2
2017–18 Boston Bruins NHL 73 7 17 24 60 12 1 4 3 4
2018–19 Boston Bruins NHL 62 5 9 14 57 23 2 2 6 16
2019-20 Boston Bruins NHL 68 5 9 14 60 13 0 0 2 8
2020-21 Washington Capitals NHL 55 2 8 10 44 5 0 0 2
2021-22 New York Islanders NHL 72 2 12 14 85
NHL totals 1,680 209 471 680 2,085 200 18 52 70 218

 

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A PS PIM
1999 Slovakia WC 7th 6 1 0 1 6
2000 Slovakia WC 2 9 0 0 0 12
2001 Slovakia WC 7th 7 0 1 1 10
2004 Slovakia WC 4th 9 2 0 2 2
2004 Slovakia WCH 7th 4 0 2 2 8
2005 Slovakia WC 5th 7 0 2 2 2
2006 Slovakia OG 5th 6 1 1 2 2
2007 Slovakia WC 6th 7 3 1 4 4
2010 Slovakia OG 4th 7 0 3 3 6
2012 Slovakia WC 2 10 2 2 4 4
2014 Slovakia OG 11th 4 0 1 1 4
2016 Team Europe WCG 2 6 2 0 2 6
Senior totals 82 11 13 24 66
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Zdeno Chara Net Worth & Income History

Here are the net worth history details for Zdeno Chara. The current net worth is $577,000. Zdeno Chara’s net worth in 2021 was $513,975. 

Zdeno Chara was estimated to have a $457,438 net worth in 2020. Zdeno Chara, a Hockey Player, had a net worth of $388,822 for 2019 and $330.499 for 2018.

Below is a table that shows Net Worth History & income history listing Details.

Year Net Worth History Estimated Salary / Income
2022 $577,500 $176,580
2021 $513,975 $165,985
2020 $457,438 $152,706
2019 $388,822 $146,598
2018 $330,499 $136,336

 

Here are the details about Zdeno Chara’s salary history and income. Zdeno Chara’s current income is $176 580.

In 2021 Zdeno earned $165 985 and in 2020 Zdeno earned $152,706. Our research revealed that Zdeno Chara earned $146,598 in 2019, $136,336 2018 and $136,336 2018. He used his skills as a Hockey Player.  

 Zdeno Chara Family & Relationship

Father Name  Zdeněk Chára
Mother Name  Don’t Know
Brother Name  N/A
Sister Name
  • Barbora Chárová
  • Soňa Chárová
  • Viera Chárová
Girlfriend / Wife Name  Tatiana Biskupicová
Married Status  Married
Children Name
  • Elliz Victoria Chára (Chárová) (Daughter)
  • Zack (Son)
  • Ben (Son)

 

Zdeno Chara Physical Status & More

Height   6 feet 9 inc  (2.06 m)
Weight  113 kg(250 lbs)
Eye Color  Dark Brown
Hair Color  Black
Shoe Size  12 US
Chest size  42 inches Approx
Waist size  31 inches Approx
Biceps  20 inches Approx
Body type  Athletic
Shoots  Left-handed
Current teams Tatiana Biskupičová (m. 2007)
Spouse
  • New York Islanders (Defenseman),
  • Slovak Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (#33 / Defenseman)

 

Zdeno Chara Social Media Accounts

Zdeno Chara

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How old is NHL Chara?

Chara will be an unrestricted, free agent on July 13. This is after Chara reunited with the New York Islanders last September on a one-year deal. It was Chara’s 24th season in NHL. Chara, 45 years old, was the oldest player in the league. He had two goals and 12 assists in 72 matches.

How many Stanley Cups has Zdeno Chara won?

Chara’s greatest value was evident in playoff play. Chara’s performance was most important when the games were crucial. He played in three Stanley Cup Final series and won one as a leader for the Boston Bruins.

What is Chara’s gender?

Chara is what gender? Chara and Frisk are canonically nonbinary. They both use them/their pronouns. They are their characters.

 

 Has Zdeno Chara retired?

No. He currently has a one-year contract with New York Islanders.

 

What is Chara’s weakness?

Weaknesses. They cannot possess someone unless they have the will to succeed. They are emotionally unstable because they have seen all the dangerous and potentially harmful things reduced to a dull point in their old house.

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