Chara’s drive to do ‘whatever it takes’ inspired Bruins on way to Hall of Fame

The 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame induction is Nov. 10. This year’s class includes Jennifer Botterill, Zdeno Chara , Brianna Decker, Duncan Keith , Alexander Mogilny and Joe Thornton in the Players category, and Jack Parker and Daniele Sauvageau in the Builders category. Here, NHL.com senior writer Amalie Benjamin profiles Chara.

BOSTON -- It was dark that evening, outside and in, as Zdeno Chara entered the rink, a single spotlight illuminating the ice surface. A friend, a Zamboni maintenance worker, had let Chara and his father, Zdenek, in the building, a local rink near where the family lived in Trencin, then part of Czechoslovakia.

Hockey players were being recruited and, though the sport had not been a part of the six-and-a-half year old’s life to that point, he was an active k