The Boston Bruins are entering a bit of a transition phase. Boston missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2025. And the icons of their most recent run of success are no longer with the team. David Pastrnak is the last remnant, and he should be around for a while. Other legends are retired or playing elsewhere. However, this has changed somewhat recently.
Zdeno Chara is one of the greatest defensemen of his generation. A hulking figure on the ice, the Slovakian rearguard refused to allow opponents to get the best of him. He was the best shutdown defenseman in the NHL for the longest time.
Chara truly entered a league of his own after signing with the Bruins in 2006. He had spent time with the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators. But he reached a new level with Boston, where he eventually won a Stanley Cup.
On Thursday, Chara returned to the Bruins, three years after retiring as a player. He was named as a Hockey Operations Advisor and Mentor. This news has drawn a lot of reactions from within the organization, including Pastrnak, who first met Chara after being drafted in 2014.
“It’s so simple with Zdeno. He has so much to offer, obviously both personally and with all the experience he has as a player,” Pastrnak said, via NHL.com. “We are very happy as players. I think every single young player in the locker room should recognize what kind of person we have in this room and use him. He’s here for us.”
Zdeno Chara Helped Set The Tone For Boston
Elsa/Getty ImagesZdeno Chara is returning to the Boston Bruins in an official capacity.
Despite the roster turnover, there are still some familiar faces for Chara in Boston. Pastrnak is one, of course. He’s grown from a promising rookie into one of the NHL’s leading stars. Another familiar face is the new head coach, Marco Sturm.
Sturm played in the NHL for 14 years, spending five with the Bruins. He saw Chara every day in practice and how he conducted himself. The new Boston bench boss spoke about how the hulking defender was a tone-setter for the team at the time. And this is the message he believes Chara will bring to this current group.
“I think that is the message he wants to send to (Charlie) McAvoy and ‘Pasta’ and all these guys. So, sometimes they get sick of me and sick of whoever, but I think he will be just another voice I think in our room that maybe will push these guys forward,” Sturm said, via NHL.com.
Chara Happy To Lend Voice To David Pastrnak, Bruins
Chara spoke about his return to the Bruins, as well. He mentioned being excited to get to work with this team. And he said that he looks forward to supporting those on the roster.
One area he wants to lend support to is leadership. Pastrnak and defenseman Charlie McAvoy are the leaders of this team as of now. Boston is one of two teams without a captain, so Chara is looking to help these two along as they lead the team together.
“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,” Chara said, via NHL.com.
The Bruins begin their 2025-26 NHL season on October 8th on the road against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
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