After 24 NHL seasons, former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is hanging up his skates.
Chara signed a one-day contract on Tuesday to retire as a member of the Bruins.
"After 25 seasons of professional hockey 1,680 NHL regular season games, 200 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and hundreds of international games I am proud to announce my decision to retire from the National Hockey League," Chara wrote on Instagram. "In doing so, I am honored to return to TD Garden today to sign a one-day contract with the Boston Bruins and officially finish my career with the team that has meant so much to me and my family. There are so many people that have helped contribute to my success, including all of you, and I look forward to properly thanking everyone this afternoon.
"Thank you, Big Zee"
Chara scored two goals and had 14 points in 72 games with the New York Islanders last season, his 24th in the NHL.
A third-round pick (56th overall) of the Islanders at the 1996 draft, Chara spent four years on Long Island before being acquired by the Ottawa Senators in a package that included the 2001 second overall pick (Jason Spezza). He played for Ottawa for four seasons before signing as a free agent with the Boston Bruins in 2006.
Chara spent 14 seasons in Boston, captaining the team to a Stanley Cup in 2011. A six-time NHL All-Star, he won the Norris Trophy in 2009. He ranks sixth in Bruins history in games played (1,023), and third in points by a defenceman (481) behind Hall of Famers Ray Bourque (1,506) and Bobby Orr (888).
Internationally, he has two silver medals at the world hockey championship (2000, 2012) with Slovakia and silver at the World Cup of Hockey with Team Europe.
He is coming off a one-year, $750,000 contract.
The Trencin, Slovakia native has 209 goals and 680 points in 1,680 career NHL games split between the Islanders, Senators, Bruins and Washington Capitals. He has 18 goals and 70 points in 200 playoff games.
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