Zdeno Chara

Zdeno Chara is a Slovakian defenseman on the Boston Bruins.

Chara was drafted by the New York Islanders in 1996, and joined the team in 1997. He was traded to Ottawa in 2001, where he developed into one of the top defensemen in the league. He put up solid numbers with Ottawa and signed with Boston in 2006. He was named team captain and began to get more recognition as one of the best defensemen in the NHL. He has won the last three NHL hardest shot competitions at the AllStar Skills Competition, setting an NHL record with a 105.4 mph blast. Chara had the best season of his career in 2007-08, finishing with a career high 51 points. At 6’9, he is the tallest player to ever play in the NHL.

Chara has played for Slovakia at 8 international competitions, including the Olympics, World Championships and World Cup.