No list of the NHL's best leaders is complete without mentioning Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara,
Chara came to Boston in the summer of 2006 as the team's first marquee free agent signing in the salary cap era. He was immediately named team captain and has done a tremendous job in that role both on and off the ice. Whether it's encouraging his teammates, sticking up for them on the ice, giving advice off the ice and everything in between, Chara's leadership has played a huge role in the Bruins' success over the last 15 years.
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The 43-year-old defenseman did a Zoom conference call Tuesday with the team's season ticket holders, and he was asked about his favorite thing about being Bruins captain.
"My favorite thing about being a captain is being just a regular guy," Chara said. "Being with the guys, seeing them everyday in the morning, to see how they go on with their lives, going through some ups and downs together. Being a friend, being a teammate, it's always very important to me ... helping younger players adapt to the game the best I can from my experiences. I just love the game and I don't think it's that much to do with the captaincy, it's just to be there for my teammates any way I can. I have a lot of love and passion for the game."
Chara had never been an NHL captain before arriving in Boston. One valuable lesson he's learned about the role is the importance of sharing the leadership burden with teammates.
"I think that early on in my captaincy years, I tried to take everything up on my shoulders and tried to do a lot out there and everywhere. Took a lot of pressure on myself," Chara said. "It was challenging times. The team was going through some changes, some rebuilds, if you want to call it that. We got a new general manger, new coaching staff. Shortly after the first season, we again got new coaches. Players were coming in, players were leaving. There were a lot of different pieces in and out. Everything was a little bit challenging.
"As the time went on, you started to realize that you have to share that leadership as much as possible. We started getting more experience and more experienced players with winning Stanley Cups. It really helped me to become a better captain, to have my teammates along with me. It's just one of those things that you have to accept certain situations and go with it. Use your instincts, use your guys making the best decisions for the team, and try to be yourself, never thinking of yourself anymore or less than any other player and try to do the best for the team."
Boston Bruins
The Bruins have been fortunate to have so many veteran leaders on their roster over the last 10 years, most notably Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Other players, such as defenseman Torey Krug, also have taken on a meaningful leadership role in recent seasons.
It's unknown whether the 2019-20 NHL season will resume. The season has been paused since March because of COVID-19. However, if games do return, the Bruins' strong leadership led by Chara will be a huge help in getting the team prepared for what could be another lengthy playoff run.