Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: NHL defenseman from 1996-2022 for Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islander and Washington Capitals. Won Norris Trophy in 2009 as NHL’s top defenseman.
HT: 6-foot-9 WT: 251 pounds
DOB: March 18, 1977 In: Trencin, Slovakia
Hockey Inspirations: “Oooh, that’s a tough one. I always looked up to my parents; they were my closest friends. And the whole family. So basically I was looking up to them. But when I started to play sports it was obviously Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky.”
Early Hockey Memory: “Well, probably the strongest is my first NHL game. It was on Nov. 19 (1997 with the Islanders) against Detroit. We won 3-1.”
Leisure Activities/Interests: “Wrestling, cycling, hockey.”
Nickname: “Big Z.”
Favorite Movie: “The Shawshank Redemption. What was the other one…Dances with Wolves.”
Favorite TV Show: “Nope.”
Musical Tastes: “I listen to anything.”
First Job: “I was washing cars at a car wash (age 17).”
First Car: “Jeep Cherokee. It was green.”
Current Car: “Lexus.”
Favorite Uniforms: “Bruins.”
Pre-game Feeling: “Focusing on the game, basically.”
Favorite Meal: “Probably pasta, steak.”
Favorite Breakfast Food: “Fruit, oatmeal, eggs.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “I don’t eat ice cream.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Winning Stanley Cup in 2011 with Boston Bruins.”
Most Painful Moment: “Any time I get hurt.”
Closest Hockey Friend(s): “Peter Bondra.”
Funniest Player Encountered: “It’s tough to pick one…Shane Hnidy.”
Toughest Competitors: “Same thing, it’s tough to pick one. Obviously Joe Thornton, Jaromir Jagr and I would say Alexei Kovalev.”
Favorite Players To Watch: “Nicklas Lidstrom.”
Last Vacation: “Rome.”
Most Memorable Goal: “The last one.”
Embarrassing Career Memory: … (no answer)
People Qualities Most Admired: “People I can trust. Honesty.”
Interesting Facts: Chara can speak seven different languages – Slovak (native), Czech, Polish, German, Russian, English, Swedish, and he ran in the 2023 and 2024 Boston Marathons.
Career Accomplishments: Played in 1680 games and scored 290 goals; Played in six All Star Games; Played in most NHL games as a defenseman and is the tallest man to ever play in NHL.
