Zdeno Chara’s 2011 Stanley Cup Story With the Boston Bruins
Sido cha lifting the Stanley Cup and the 2011 Captain joins us in the booth I’m standing in a hole no hey Z how’s retirement treating you it’s been good yeah um busy you know obviously um having three kids um U making you really um busy every day uh but I’m happy and it’s uh it’s been
Really a nice change nice uh transition uh being involved with my boys uh a little bit of coaching um helping out and uh yeah still training for uh for marathons and uh now Iron Man so yeah that keep keeps me busy do you miss it and and what do you miss
Most uh to be honest I I don’t miss the game as much as as a player um obviously you know you would love to be out there and playing but I know that obviously now it’s other things are my priorities um so but I I do check the scores I do
Check the highlights and news every single day so I want to be still kind of in a picture what’s going on uh especially with the Bruins in uh around the league um but obviously you miss those days with with the boys you know hanging out um you know having good
Laughes all these pranks and jokes they they never get old so um yeah just the camaraderie and those uh relationships you said during your career that the Milestones are important but you wouldn’t think about them until after you got done playing have you thought about them and put it in
Perspective um I’m still kind of in that process to be honest I’m not trying to be caught up with uh you know some some of those Milestones as you call them or accomplishments obviously there are some that I’m very proud of um you know obviously went in a staning cup with a
Uh our team in 2011 but uh um you know I’m trying to stay really humble about it and and um what I enjoy the most about all these um you know accomplish lments or uh Milestones were you know was the process you know I really enjoy
The the work that that was done and um you know that that got got you to that um place of opportunity and and and those precious situations that uh you Embrace and uh you cherish I’d like to take it back to when you first came to Boston Z and uh you
Know when you talk to fans or media you know generally they say well free agents they go where the money is but it seemed like you had a different different perspective and reasoning for coming to Boston you remind the fans what that was all about yeah I mean um you know I I
Never thought I would be in that position to be um you know choosing uh where I would want to play and obviously that kind of uh happened happened to me in uh 2004 uh 2005 season and uh when I that kind of presented I I um you know I
Saw a huge opportunity to grow as a player as a leader um as a team uh in Boston so that was my goal that was my priority to to come and and try to um you know change the you know the way the team was was was was kind of playing and
And where they were heading and um so yeah I I I was kind of like have that quiet um you know goal and and vision um and obiously I Tred to do my best to um you know lead that way and I was very lucky and fortunate to to have um the
Support from players and coaching staff to um to really change that that that you know um you know the way that that Bruins were at that time and uh it took a lot of um a lot of energy but but it was it was great it was worth it and you
Know like I said I would not be able to do it with you know just a I had tremendous support of leaders uh you know as you know Bergie Tori Andrew size all room was just uh um you know very supportive and uh it wouldn’t be possible without
Him it took a while to establish the culture didn’t it well it it I think everything that’s worthwhile it takes time uh it’s not going to happen overnight I think that as we we’re adding pieces and and you know slowly and surely players we coming each year
More ready for that change and accepting that change and then you know I think that that really made a difference that everybody who was part of that team the year before knew what to expect and who I was coming in they already knew that what would be asked uh for the from them
To to be kind of part of that uh uh the team or culture so um that’s something that that uh you know is not going to happen overnight uh it took us 3 4 years and finally we we started taking the those fruits uh from those you know from
That tree uh winning winning and you know that was great that we were able to uh finish it off in 2011 you know people always admire superstars that are humble and you’re in that category and I got to ask you though to talk a little bit about
Yourself you know your legacy as a Boston breu how would you classify that how would you put that into terms that we could understand I I I don’t know I I think I’m just the regular guy I honestly do I I I try to play the game right way and
And Lead uh by example and um really be there for my teamm as much as I could um try to be um always there for my teammates protect my teammates and uh um again set certain standards that that we could all be comfortable with um and um
Something that could stay for for longer than my career or or um something that could make positive impact um you know going forward and I don’t think that I’m anything more or less than anybody else I just try to always be just one of many
Guys and and all all my teammates and I just uh I think I’m just a regular guy yeah well you’re a little more than that but um what about the players that are getting older in the NHL today you’re a guy that played you know for a long what
24 season 1,600 plus games uh but you had to evolve constantly as a player so you know like Brad Maran he’s 35 now or anybody in the league what do you have to do when you get to that stage in order to still be an impactful player
Yeah well for me was never get comfortable um I always felt there’s there’s a room to improve um there’s things that I could do better um there’s things that you need to adopt and change and and still um contribute to the game so you know I obviously played from late ’90s to um
You know just a couple years ago and and it takes you know the game is involving so you have to be able to adopt and make changes with with you know the way the the game is changing and um so when all that clutch and grab and hooks and holds
Come went away I had to improve how I’m going to play better positioning how I’m you know going to improve my footwork um you know once that kind of like became more I became more comfortable I started adding a little bit other things I felt you know not as comfortable and I think
That the biggest thing is you have to be feeling uh you know comfortable in those uncomfortable situations so um yeah for me never get you know complacent or satisfied or or you know be comfortable um that what kind of draw me to always keep working on things and keep getting
Better you know the Bruins have done a fabulous job this year the Centennial season these a nights and uh how special take us to ice level that was pretty awesome what they did before the game with the duckboat ETC M boy is down swan has the puck in its
Glove yeah just keeping my eye on the Brewing bench here to see if uh Dustin St yeah any one of the trainers need to come out here that that that’s what you don’t want to see get a look at what happened to makoy yeah backand Puck bad spot
Yep but yeah it had to be pretty pretty awesome at ice level with uh most of the guys back in town you know you said you missed the camaraderie and the guys well you guys won together you walk together for life right I had to be pretty special down there yeah it’s special
Every time I you know we get together we see each other it’s uh big hugs uh big smiles um you know those those memories are yeah those memories for life and uh yeah you then it gets old raising that cup I mean um honestly like when I um
When I got it um in that zon entrance I I felt a little hesitant for a few seconds it’s been a while but as soon as I got it um still light as a feather though wasn’t not anymore I thought that’s strong yeah very special you know you you CH those moments for
Life were were there speci of games along the way in 2011 that you said this is the year well I think that um we all felt that you know from the previous year when we had that U big upset uh in the playoffs against Philly and losing that series um from leading
You know 3 nothing and then we lost it you know I think we just came back just so um ready to prove it that we are good team and team that can compete and be Contender and and think they can win we just we were just um obviously so
Unhappy the way it ended that we just carry ourselves um right from the start of the Season Trent Fredick has a break away and he scored that’s a nice shot Jack this is a classic example of how Boston played in the first period with their layers defensively you know they
Play a hybrid defense in their own Zone it’s not manto man it’s not Zone it’s a bit of a combination and nand is Wheeling and dealing he’s doing what he does best he’s handling the puck he’s trying to get creative he’s trying to create his own shot but when you’re the
Last line of defense now this is a forward up by the Blue Line the de thinking offense they in by the the tops of the circles he mishandles the puck but it’s great coverage by Boston good switches good communication and then Frederick just takes off a nander gets
The skated can’t catch him and the release was well timed and what an accurate shot right through wall to give the Bruins a two- nothing lead five hole Breakaway pretty he ties his career high with his 17th goal of the Season he’s already established lished a career high in
Assists and Toronto ises the puck do you subscribe to to that theory that some people believe that you you sometimes have to lose first in order to learn how to win or is that just some narrative that really doesn’t belong in the in the way you think I think that you have to
Earn it I think that you don’t necessarily have to lose but it can it’s not going to be easy I think um anything in your life worth worthwhile it’s not easy and if it is then you got really really lucky and probably you are not going to get lucky again like that you
Know so I think that you have to realize that um things like winning Stanley Cup or championships or Olympics whatever it is you have to earn it so things in life are meant to be hard when they’re worth worthwhile so um yeah I think that that
You know for us we had to earn it and and and we did so um just uh you know that’s what I think verzy and Cole yeah there was a delayed call on Boston before this exchange between berzi and coil and I’m just curious if the referees are going to get together
Again and do what they did to Toronto in the first period yep there’s your battle right in front of the net you know it’s an area Boston’s trying to really work on Jack is be you know a little bit more sandpaper in front of their own
Goal as you start to gear up for the postseason and again we have a conference with the referees and the linesmen to determine just exactly what the penalty minutes will be Austin was the beneficiary of the the mcab and they included kniv in the first period that
Created the five on three past go we’ll see how this shakes Up bertzi blocked the second cross check with his own stick Boston number 13 two minutes for slashing and two minutes for high [Applause] sticking let’s see if Bert’s own stick is the one that made contact all right one more look at it yeah frame there didn’t quite catch
That well calls made 4 minutes in penalties good news is it’s 5 on four if there is good news as a result of that of the teams that have been shorthanded against Toronto at least five times this season on the Bruins Vancouver Chicago and Tampa Bay have allowed no Power Play Goals penalty
Number to Mar crazy bounce off the corner of the Dasher Riley to Marner down low for Matthews neander fouls it off Marner back to LY AIS shot gobbled up by Jeremy San I was thinking of the Dallas mattina oh that game at TD Garden it was wild yeah it was I mean I obviously remember that game that was March 3rd right yeah oh yeah February 3rd yeah
February February 3rd yeah yeah that was a that was a state b game for sure cuz that year I felt that that we were playing so well that all of a sudden other teams were coming in try to play us different way but then we could have
We could we could answer any type of a game that other teams brought to us and that really was a statement game that we were just like we had no really weakness on that team it was just uh we could play Fast skill tough any type of a game
That uh other teams came in the building and tried to play against us so yeah um that was definitely the game that uh rememberable especially if you if you miss the first first three three minutes of the game you miss the whole thing yeah and and Legend has it that I think
Brad M got credit for he was at the end of the Brewing bench closest to the Dallas bench and he was yelling down at them saying we haven’t even got the Char in Lui yet neander picked off by pker W spoon yeah it’s got to be fun playing for a
Team like that that could play the game any style you want to play and be better at it than your opponent for the most part yeah I mean obviously cig goes to always the uh management as well to be able to put the team together that we
Had and still under the cop and uh under all those uh you know uh rules and regulations that that we were facing oh what a save by swayman off McMahon but also we knew that you know we were we were we were built that way we we we want to be also
Playing that way physical you know heavy game uh obviously we had the best third fourth line um in the league and on top of that you know our top two lines were dominating that year so we really didn’t have a weak line or weak spot it was
Just uh you know it was it was amazing to be part of uh on a team like that yeah I think about so many of the individual performances during the postseason as well obviously Timmy was awesome in that but you and Seidenberg together and the minute you guys log the
Hard minutes and the guys you had to play against who was impressive that had to be pretty fun paired up with him yeah and then um it kind of happened that um I think some um I think somebody was uh hurt or injured and we kind of like
Started playing together and we really um find the chemistry and and you know we play play really simple but very effective and and we carry on to that um playoffs and I don’t think we got scored on five on five the whole whole playoff um I think we was just just just very
Very uh solid together and we we took a lot of pride in defending and and shutting those stop lines um we play again Arad Picks It Off from doy finding too far forward Mitch Marner scores AR ah it’s a tough break right there the brones doing a terrific job on the PK
They end up with possession they trying to get something going in a a short-handed rush and the puck gets turned over and marish just kind of hanging around the F blue line is’s that little backand feed and then the the crisscross Puck turns over maror recognizes it he hangs High
Takes that pass he’s got possession he crosses the Blue Line reaches behind him to bring the puck with them and the dreaded six hole between the body and the blocker Far Side how play goal C the Bruins lead to One so what happens to a team in the next shift well we’ll leave that question for another time it a no Char thank appreciate it thanks meeting us thanks for this yeah no thank you guys thanks for the support and um awesome guys thank you all right thanks 2-1 Boston second period
Zdeno Chara joined the Boston Bruins broadcast booth on 2000’s era night to celebrate the Bruins’ teams from 2000-present day.
