Zdeno Chara Leaves Bruins-Rangers Game With Upper Body Injury

BOSTON — The Bruins’ battered blue line took another hit Thursday night.

Defenseman Zdeno Chara exited his preseason debut against the New York Rangers after skating just three shifts. The Bruins after the first period announced that Chara had suffered an upper body injury and would not return.

Chara, who was paired Thursday with 18-year-old Brandon Carlo on Boston’s top defensive tandem, logged 1:57 of ice time and recorded one shot on goal.

The injury comes at an inopportune time for the Bruins, who earlier this week announced blueliner Dennis Seidenberg would undergo back surgery and miss the next eight weeks. Boston also still is determining how to fill the void created by Dougie Hamilton’s departure to the Calgary Flames this past offseason.

Chara, who is entering his 10th season as captain of the Bruins, tallied eight goals and 12 assists in 63 games last season. A torn PCL last October sidelined him for nearly two months.

UPDATE (10:27 p.m. ET): Bruins coach Claude Julien said after the game — which the Bruins went on to win 4-3 in a shootout — that he had “no update” on Chara’s condition, saying only that the defenseman would be evaluated.

Chara might have suffered his injury on this hit from Ryan Bourque, which came during his third and final shift of the night:

Zdeno Chara, Ryan Bourque