Longtime NHL defenseman Zdeno Chara, 45, retires as a Bruin

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — Zdeno Chara has announced his retirement after playing 24 NHL seasons and captaining the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 2011. The 6-foot-9 defenseman from Slovakia is calling it a career at age 45. He returned to Boston to make that announcement two years after splitting with the Bruins following 14 seasons. Chara won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2009 and also spent time with the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals. He’s a candidate for the Hockey Hall of Fame based not only on his consistency through 1,880 regular-season games but also his stature in the game from Slovakia to North America.