Former New York Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on his first ballot, joining eight inductees in Toronto this year. Chara, who played five seasons with the Islanders, was a third-round pick in the 1996 NHL Draft. In his 24-year career, he began with four seasons on Long Island, tallying six goals and 23 assists in 231 games. After the 2000-01 season, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators, with Bill Muckalt and a draft pick, for Alexei Yashin.
Chara spent four seasons with Ottawa before joining the Boston Bruins for 14 years, where he won the 2009 Norris Trophy and the 2011 Stanley Cup. In Boston, he recorded 148 goals and 333 assists over 1,023 games. His last season in Boston was 2019-20, after which he signed a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals for the 2021 season, playing 55 games.
He rejoined the Islanders for the 2021-22 season, during which he set the record for most NHL games played by a defenseman with 1,680. His final game was on April 27, 2022, against the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring on his final shot. He announced his retirement on September 30, 2022.
Chara’s career statistics include 209 goals and 471 assists for 680 points. He was named to six All-Star teams, earned the 2011 Mark Messier Leadership Award, and won silver medals for Slovakia at the IIHF World Championship. He will be inducted alongside Alex Mogilny, Joe Thornton, Duncan Keith, Jennifer Botterill, Jack Parker, and Danièle Sauvageau. The induction ceremony is set for November 10.
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