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Photo of Zdeno Chara

Zdeno Chara

#33 · Defence · New York Islanders · Hockey Hall of Fame

Born Mar 18, 1977 in Trencin, SVK · 6'9", 250 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 56th overall in 1996 by NYI (round 3)

Trophy case

Stanley Cup NHL Champion 2010-11
Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award Leadership and Growing the Game 2010-11
James Norris Memorial Trophy Top Defenseman 2008-09

Compare with a similar player

The defencemen closest to him in points in 2008-09. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Dennis Wideman BOS · 50 P in 79 GP Niklas Kronwall DET · 51 P in 80 GP Brian Campbell CHI · 52 P in 82 GP Chris Pronger ANA · 48 P in 82 GP Dion Phaneuf CGY · 47 P in 80 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

020401997-98: 1 points197-981998-99: 8 points81999-00: 11 points1199-002000-01: 9 points92001-02: 23 points2301-022002-03: 39 points392003-04: 41 points4103-042005-06: 43 points432006-07: 43 points4306-072007-08: 51 points512008-09: 50 points5008-092009-10: 44 points442010-11: 44 points4410-112011-12: 52 points522012-13: 19 points1912-132013-14: 40 points402014-15: 20 points2014-152015-16: 37 points372016-17: 29 points2916-172017-18: 24 points242018-19: 14 points1418-192019-20: 14 points142020-21: 10 points1020-212021-22: 14 points14

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
1997-98 NYI 25 0 1 1 1 50 10 52 0.04
1998-99 NYI 59 2 6 8 -8 83 56 214 0.14
1999-00 NYI 65 2 9 11 -27 57 47 309 0.17
2000-01 NYI 82 2 7 9 -27 157 83 373 0.11
2001-02 OTT 75 10 13 23 30 156 105 299 0.31
2002-03 OTT 74 9 30 39 29 116 168 74 0.53
2003-04 OTT 79 16 25 41 33 147 185 239 0.52
2005-06 OTT 71 16 27 43 17 135 212 224 0.61 $1.862M
2006-07 BOS 80 11 32 43 -21 100 204 203 0.54 $7.5M
2007-08 BOS 77 17 34 51 14 114 207 223 0.66 $7.5M
2008-09 BOS 80 19 31 50 23 95 216 169 0.63 $7.5M
2009-10 BOS 80 7 37 44 19 87 242 151 0.55 $7.5M
2010-11 BOS 81 14 30 44 33 88 264 153 0.54 $7.5M
2011-12 BOS 79 12 40 52 33 86 224 166 0.66 $6.5M
2012-13 BOS 48 7 12 19 14 70 119 101 0.40 $6.917M
2013-14 BOS 77 17 23 40 25 66 168 163 0.52 $6.917M
2014-15 BOS 63 8 12 20 0 42 138 125 0.32 $6.917M
2015-16 BOS 80 9 28 37 12 71 158 134 0.46 $6.917M
2016-17 BOS 75 10 19 29 18 59 136 130 0.39 $6.917M
2017-18 BOS 73 7 17 24 22 60 144 141 0.33 $4M
2018-19 BOS 62 5 9 14 22 57 99 81 0.23 $5M
2019-20 BOS 68 5 9 14 26 60 86 78 0.21 $2M
2020-21 WSH 55 2 8 10 5 44 67 88 0.18 $795K
2021-22 NYI 72 2 12 14 8 85 81 125 0.19 $750K
24 seasons Career 1680 209 471 680 301 2085 3419 4015 0.40

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2001-02 OTT 10 0 1 1 4 12 17 40 0.10
2002-03 OTT 18 1 6 7 3 14 32 52 0.39
2003-04 OTT 7 1 1 2 3 8 12 26 0.29
2005-06 OTT 10 1 3 4 0 23 17 29 0.40
2007-08 BOS 7 1 1 2 -1 12 14 21 0.29
2008-09 BOS 11 1 3 4 1 12 28 37 0.36
2009-10 BOS 13 2 5 7 1 29 34 39 0.54
2010-11 BOS 24 2 7 9 16 34 62 56 0.38
2011-12 BOS 7 1 2 3 -1 8 21 26 0.43
2012-13 BOS 22 3 12 15 7 20 55 72 0.68
2013-14 BOS 12 2 2 4 4 14 22 45 0.33
2016-17 BOS 6 0 1 1 -3 2 8 36 0.17
2017-18 BOS 12 1 2 3 7 4 26 36 0.25
2018-19 BOS 23 2 4 6 11 16 21 57 0.26
2019-20 BOS 10 0 1 1 -2 8 11 24 0.10
2020-21 WSH 5 0 0 0 1 2 5 10 0.00
16 seasons Playoffs 197 18 51 69 51 218 385 606 0.35

2008-09 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
80 19 31 50 23 95 216 169 0.63 8.8 26:04

Contract

$7.5MCap hitends in 2011, then UFA
$150KCap dollars per point50 points in 80 games

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up.

The contract

Who signed him to it, and when, are not on record. It runs through 2010-11, with 2 seasons left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit
2008-09 $7.5M
2009-10 $7.5M
2010-11 $7.5M

Each season left on the contract. Only its cap hit and its end are known: how the pay is split by season, and any signing bonus, are not.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
2020-21 to 2021-22 $795K
2019-20 to 2019-20 $2M
2018-19 to 2018-19 $5M
2017-18 to 2017-18 $4M
2012-13 to 2016-17 $6.917M
2011-12 to 2017-18 $6.5M
2006-07 to 2010-11 $7.5M
2005-06 to 2005-06 $1.862M

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2008-09 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 9, 2009 vs MTL W 5-4 (OT) 1 1 2 0 4 5 3 28:05
Apr 7, 2009 @ OTT L 2-3 1 0 1 -1 2 4 1 26:00
Apr 4, 2009 vs NYR W 1-0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 26:57
Apr 2, 2009 vs OTT W 2-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 24:12
Mar 31, 2009 vs TBL W 3-1 1 1 2 0 7 4 0 20:52
Mar 29, 2009 @ PHI W 4-3 0 2 2 0 0 1 1 22:42
Mar 28, 2009 @ TOR W 7-5 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 23:09
Mar 22, 2009 vs NJD W 4-1 0 0 0 1 4 3 4 23:21
Mar 19, 2009 vs LAK L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 25:25
Mar 15, 2009 @ PIT L 4-6 0 1 1 -3 0 0 4 25:56
Mar 14, 2009 vs NYI W 2-1 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 21:44
Mar 12, 2009 vs OTT W 5-3 0 1 1 2 0 2 1 25:41
Mar 10, 2009 @ CBJ L 0-2 0 0 0 -1 4 4 3 23:28
Mar 8, 2009 @ NYR L 3-4 1 1 2 1 2 6 2 26:52
Mar 7, 2009 vs CHI W 5-3 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 24:29
Mar 5, 2009 vs PHX L 1-2 0 0 0 1 2 2 3 25:54
Mar 3, 2009 vs PHI L 2-4 0 1 1 -3 4 5 1 22:54
Feb 28, 2009 vs WSH L 3-4 (OT) 1 0 1 1 0 4 5 26:52
Feb 26, 2009 vs ANA W 6-0 0 1 1 1 0 2 1 21:54
Feb 24, 2009 vs FLA W 6-1 0 0 0 2 0 7 2 22:10
Feb 22, 2009 @ TBL L 3-4 1 0 1 0 0 6 0 28:37
Feb 21, 2009 @ FLA L 0-2 0 0 0 -2 2 4 3 24:57
Feb 17, 2009 @ CAR W 5-1 0 1 1 1 2 3 0 23:14
Feb 14, 2009 @ NSH L 2-3 (SO) 1 0 1 0 0 4 1 27:51
Feb 13, 2009 @ NJD L 0-1 0 0 0 -1 2 2 0 23:40
Feb 10, 2009 vs SJS L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 3 1 26:25
Feb 7, 2009 vs PHI L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 3 27:44
Feb 5, 2009 @ OTT W 4-3 (SO) 1 1 2 1 0 2 2 29:50
Feb 4, 2009 @ PHI W 3-1 0 0 0 -1 0 4 3 24:07
Feb 1, 2009 @ MTL W 3-1 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 26:39
Jan 31, 2009 vs NYR W 1-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 24:10
Jan 29, 2009 vs NJD L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 3 2 26:28
Jan 27, 2009 vs WSH W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 0 2 1 4 29:38
Jan 21, 2009 @ TOR W 4-3 (SO) 1 0 1 1 0 4 2 28:54
Jan 19, 2009 vs STL L 4-5 (SO) 1 1 2 -1 4 4 4 29:51
Jan 17, 2009 @ WSH L 1-2 0 1 1 0 0 3 2 29:50
Jan 15, 2009 @ NYI W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 25:49
Jan 13, 2009 vs MTL W 3-1 2 0 2 1 2 5 3 31:48
Jan 10, 2009 vs CAR W 5-1 0 1 1 2 2 1 5 25:23
Jan 8, 2009 vs OTT W 6-4 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 26:39
Jan 6, 2009 vs MIN L 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 27:04
Jan 3, 2009 vs BUF L 2-4 0 0 0 -1 0 4 2 28:54
Jan 1, 2009 vs PIT W 4-2 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 28:24
Dec 30, 2008 @ PIT W 5-2 1 1 2 1 0 3 2 27:44
Dec 28, 2008 @ ATL W 2-1 0 0 0 -1 2 3 0 28:22
Dec 27, 2008 @ CAR W 4-2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 29:45
Dec 23, 2008 @ NJD W 2-0 0 1 1 2 0 5 1 29:16
Dec 21, 2008 @ STL W 6-3 0 2 2 3 0 3 0 25:34
Dec 20, 2008 vs CAR W 4-2 0 0 0 3 0 4 1 25:58
Dec 18, 2008 vs TOR W 8-5 0 2 2 1 0 2 3 28:09
Dec 13, 2008 vs ATL W 4-2 0 0 0 0 17 1 0 17:57
Dec 12, 2008 @ ATL W 7-3 1 0 1 2 5 3 1 24:43
Dec 10, 2008 @ WSH L 1-3 0 1 1 1 0 5 2 26:50
Dec 8, 2008 vs TBL W 5-3 1 0 1 -2 0 5 4 25:52
Dec 6, 2008 @ FLA W 4-0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 23:08
Dec 4, 2008 @ TBL W 3-1 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 28:47
Nov 29, 2008 vs DET W 4-1 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 25:57
Nov 28, 2008 vs NYI W 7-2 0 1 1 2 2 3 2 25:13
Nov 26, 2008 @ BUF L 2-3 0 0 0 -2 0 3 2 22:05
Nov 22, 2008 @ MTL W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 4 3 31:01
Nov 21, 2008 vs FLA W 4-2 0 0 0 -1 2 2 3 24:54
Nov 19, 2008 vs BUF W 7-4 2 0 2 -1 0 6 2 22:18
Nov 17, 2008 @ TOR W 3-2 0 0 0 2 2 2 3 25:01
Nov 15, 2008 @ NYR L 2-3 (SO) 1 0 1 1 2 4 6 30:27
Nov 13, 2008 vs MTL W 6-1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 24:20
Nov 12, 2008 @ CHI W 2-1 (SO) 0 1 1 0 4 4 2 26:36
Nov 8, 2008 vs BUF W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 24:19
Nov 6, 2008 vs TOR W 5-2 1 0 1 0 2 3 3 26:24
Nov 1, 2008 vs DAL W 5-1 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 27:52
Oct 30, 2008 @ CGY L 2-3 0 0 0 1 2 3 2 25:09
Oct 28, 2008 @ VAN W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 21:59
Oct 27, 2008 @ EDM W 1-0 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 3 4 26:35
Oct 25, 2008 vs ATL W 5-4 0 0 0 0 2 4 2 25:27
Oct 23, 2008 vs TOR L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 29:30
Oct 21, 2008 @ BUF L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 27:53
Oct 20, 2008 vs PIT L 1-2 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 30:47
Oct 18, 2008 @ OTT W 4-2 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 25:20
Oct 15, 2008 @ MTL L 3-4 (SO) 0 1 1 0 0 2 3 31:24
Oct 11, 2008 @ MIN L 3-4 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 24:15
Oct 9, 2008 @ COL W 5-4 0 1 1 -3 2 1 1 24:04