NHL-ийн домогт хамгаалагч Здено Хара карьераа өндөрлөсний дараа Бостон Брюинс багийн дасгалжуулагчийн болон удирдлагын багт зөвлөхөөр ажиллаж байна.
NHL-д 24 улирал тоглосон, Хоккейн алдрын танхимын гишүүн 49 настай Здено Хара наймдугаар сарын 21-нд Словак улсын Тренчин хотод зохион байгуулагдсан үзүүлэх тоглолтод оролцлоо. “Зигийн сүүлчийн ээлж” нэртэй энэхүү үйл ажиллагаанд Патрис Бержерон, Рэй Бурк, Мариан Хосса, Яромир Ягр болон Давид Пастрняк зэрэг олон од тоглогчид оролцсон юм. Хара 2021-22 оны улиралд Нью-Йорк Айлендерс багт сүүлчийн тоглолтоо хийснээс хойш анх удаа албан ёсны мөсөн дээр гарсан нь энэ байв.
Тэрээр одоо Бостон Брюинс багийн хоккей хариуцсан зөвлөх, менторын хувиар шинэ карьераа эхлүүлээд байна. 2025-26 оны улиралд ерөнхий менежер Дон Свини болон дасгалжуулагч Марко Штурмтай хамтран ажиллаж, багийн хамгаалагчдад туршлагаасаа хуваалцаж байна. Тухайлбал, Никита Задоровын тоглолтын гүйцэтгэлийг сайжруулахад Харагийн зөвлөгөө чухал нөлөө үзүүлсэн гэж үздэг.
Бостон Брюинс багийн удирдлагын бүрэлдэхүүнд томоохон өөрчлөлтүүд хийгдэж байгаа энэ үед Здено Хара өөрийн үүрэг хариуцлагаа өргөжүүлэх боломжтой байна. Тэрээр тоглогчидтой шууд харилцах, тэдэнд хувь хүний болон багийн түвшинд туслах нь хамгийн өндөр үр дүнтэй гэдгийг онцолсон юм. Спортын амьдралаа триатлон болон тэсвэр тэвчээрийн бусад төрлүүдтэй хослуулж буй түүний хувьд суралцах үйл явц нь ажлынх нь гол хэсэг хэвээр байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
He is 49 years old, four seasons removed from being an NHL regular. He is a Hockey Hall of Famer. He is a triathlete, just as happy in the water or on the saddle as on the road, and last month he ran a half marathon.
But this is Zdeno Chára.
On Aug. 21, Chara skated as the headliner for a charity exhibition game at Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium in his hometown of Trenčín, Slovakia. He did not want to disappoint his fans, ex-teammates or former opponents in attendance, even if his baseline fitness would have served him just fine.
So at the beginning of the month, Chára returned to the ice. And not just for free skates.
“I felt pretty good,” Chára said with a laugh. “Three weeks before the game, I was actually skating three, four times a week, just to feel a little bit better. First few times, I felt, ‘OK, it’s been a while since I’ve been skating.’ But then it really came back quickly. I felt pretty good. I think everybody else felt the same way. We were all a little bit worried of what it was going to be like. But then we all actually played a good game at a good pace.”
The game was three years in the making, pitched as a last opportunity for Slovakians to watch one of the country’s most accomplished players. In 2001, the New York Islanders traded the defenseman to the Ottawa Senators. Then 24, Chára played eight games for Trenčín Dukla, his hometown club, while negotiating his contract with the Senators. He would never again suit up professionally in Slovakia, going on to log 24 NHL seasons — including 14 with the Boston Bruins.
Initially, Chára was reluctant about the on-ice homecoming, which was billed as “Zee’s Final Shift” in a sendoff to his illustrious career. He is glad he overcame the hesitation. Patrice Bergeron, Ray Bourque, Marián Hossa, Jaromír Jágr and David Pastrňák all traveled to play in the game, as well as many of his teammates from the Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup team. Ben and Zack, his 10-year-old twins, also spent time on the ice.
“It was really, really nicely done,” said Chára, whose last NHL shift came with the Islanders in 2021-22. “I think the fans really enjoyed it, especially seeing all these legends, all these stars, all these players who meant so much to the game, to the sport, to the NHL. They will probably never have a chance to go see an NHL game. Seeing all these All-Star players on one sheet and one place, I think they really, really enjoyed it and appreciated it.”
As much as Chára enjoyed the exhibition, what first comes to mind about the experience is the previous night’s welcome dinner. It took place at a castle in Trenčín. The players assembled, some of whom Chára had not seen for years. It did not take long for the stories to flow, family developments to be shared and new memories to form.
One of the things, after all, that Chára holds dear about his Bruins experience was how he and Bergeron initiated a movement toward good company. As captain and co-captain, the pair tried to lead a dressing room that stressed teamwork, accountability and a never-quit attitude above speed and skill.
Now, amid a career transition, Chára is following similar principles in his capacity with the Bruins’ front office. In 2025-26, his first full season as hockey operations adviser and mentor, Chára dipped his toe into multiple buckets, including management and coaching. He accompanied general manager Don Sweeney at home games. He gave his input to coach Marco Sturm, a former teammate.
But Chára most enjoyed working with the players, specifically Boston’s defensemen. It was probably not a coincidence that Nikita Zadorov, the 6-foot-7 strongman whose skills best compare to those of Chára among current Bruins, became a more reliable defenseman with No. 33’s glass-half-full counsel.
“I love to be working where I have the most impact and positive impact — that’s always with players,” said Chára. “Everything starts and ends with players. Having interactions, meetings and dialogue and helping players out individually, whether that’s one-on-one or in group meetings, I really enjoy that.”
Zadorov is one of nine Boston blueliners on one-way contracts in 2026-27. Another, 23-year-old Frédéric Brunet, an offensive defenseman who could crack the NHL roster, would be wise to incorporate Chára’s teachings when it comes to defending.
It’s possible Chára will be occupied just as much upstairs with management as he will be at ice level. The front office is going through transition: Sweeney is working with two first-time assistant GMs in Dennis Bonvie and Jeremy Rogalski following the offseason departures of Jamie Langenbrunner and Evan Gold.
Chára has yet to finalize how much he’ll be participating in the hockey operations side of Bruins management. He would not mind adding more responsibilities to his portfolio, even as he balances training for triathlons and other endurance events.
“I love to learn,” Chára said. “That’s the most important thing, learning.”
