Zdeno Chara will make history when he takes the ice Tuesday night at Bell Centre.
The Boston Bruins blue liner will play in his 1,500th career game against the Montreal Canadiens, marking the 21st time a player and just the sixth defenseman to reach the accomplishment. Chara made his NHL debut Nov. 19, 1997 as a member of the New York Islanders and has been with the Bruins since the 2006-07 season.
As for the 42-year-old, he’s just happy to be able to still be playing the game he loves.
“It’s a lot of games,” Chara said after Tuesday’s practice, per the team. “It’s very humbling. It’s something that I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life. Obviously very proud of it too. … I have so many people that I should be thanking. Obviously starting with my parents. They did such a great job of raising me and so much sacrifice for me to be able to play hockey. My family, my wife, my children. There are so many people. I’ve been very lucky. Very grateful that I’ve been able to be in the right place at the right time and get to know some very special people along the way.
“All of my teammates, coaches, … they’ve been tremendously helpful,” he added, “and I wouldn’t be playing the game without them. It’s a special, special night.”
🎥 Big Zee reflects ahead of his 1,500th career game: "Very grateful that I’ve been able to be in the right place at the right time and get to know some very special people along the way…it’s very humbling." pic.twitter.com/FRMbJ481by
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 5, 2019
What makes the night even more special is the milestone game comes against the Bruins’ biggest rival.
