McAvoy, Pastrnak Reflect on Chara’s Legendary Career, ‘It Is a Big Night for Zee’

BOSTON –– When Charlie McAvoy first walked into the Boston Bruins’ locker room at Warrior Ice Arena in 2017, he was greeted by the 6-foot-9 captain.

​“I was really wide-eyed, what I remember, when I first met him,” McAvoy said of Zdeno Chara. “I came just over from Providence; I got called up. We had practice, and then we were going to Ottawa. When I met him, I called him Mr. Chara, and he was like, ‘Don’t do that. Call me Zee.’ He just has that larger-than-life persona.”

McAvoy and Chara went on to skate together as a defensive pair for three years. The partnership offered McAvoy a top education in the NHL and lessons on what it takes to achieve both individual and team success.

On Thursday, McAvoy – now an alternate captain for the B’s – will join the Black & Gold faithful as they watch Chara’s No. 33 get raised to the TD Garden rafters ahead of their matchup against the Seattle Kraken, immortalizing Chara’s legendary career.​

“He really laid the foundation for everything for me as a hockey player,” McAvoy said.

David Pastrnak, who played six seasons with Chara, shared that same sentiment.

“He’s been a part of my growth in my career; I have a lot to thank him for. And he knows it, we have a great relationship,” Pastrnak said. “There was no other way than to follow him. That’s the easiest way to put it. He showed up, and you followed him with no excuse because that’s the way he approached every single day, and still does until this day, even after retirement.”

Through 14 seasons (2006-2020) in Boston, Chara served as captain for the entire time and led the organization to the 2011 Stanley Cup. He played in 1,023 games with Boston, logging a cumulative 481 points (148 goals, 333 assists).

Beyond the stats, though, Chara set the standard for what it means to be a Bruin on and off the ice. It is something McAvoy and Pastrnak still lean on as leaders on the current team.​

“I just learned so much from him. So much. He really helped me grow as a pro and to find the game, the consistency, and what I wanted to become as a professional. I credit so much of that to Zee, I really do,” McAvoy said.

“He really reined me in and was like, ‘Look, our responsibility every night is to shut down the best players on their team, and that’s how we win. That should feel like a goal and an assist if you can keep the McDavid off the scoresheet.’ I had to digest that and really take it to heart.”

When thinking back to his favorite memories with Chara, McAvoy landed on a moment many Bruins fans will point to as well. After breaking his jaw in Game 4 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues, Chara surfaced on the TD Garden ice for Game 5 with a protective mask around his face, ready to go to battle.​

“That was electric. I’m lined up on the blue line next to him, starting the game. I’ll just never forget how deafening that noise was. It was the loudest I’ve ever heard TD Garden. The stakes as high as they were, it was just amazing,” McAvoy said. “He wasn’t going to be denied the chance to play in that game. That kind of wrapped it all up in who he was as a person and the toughness he had.”

McAvoy, Pastrnak and Chara have continued to grow their relationship in a new respect this season; Chara rejoined the organization as a Hockey Operations Advisor and Mentor. He is around the rink on almost a daily basis and pitches in his advice and observations when necessary.

“It’s awesome to see him and to still have that relationship now, just in a different role. It’s just great to have him around. I get so excited when those guys come back,” McAvoy said. “Zee is here consistently. He brings so much insight to us. Obviously, his wealth of knowledge and experience is only going to help us. It’s nice to meet with him and do our little state of the union. He’s always there to help us in any way he can.”

​The festivities on Thursday will begin at 4:15 p.m. with the Gold Carpet Entrance at The Hub on Causeway to greet Bruins alumni. All TD Garden doors will open for ticket holders at 5:00 p.m., and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6:10 p.m. for the number retirement ceremony. Fans can watch the ceremony and game at home on NESN; it will be an 8:00 p.m. puck drop.​

“It is a big night for Zee,” Pastrnak said. “Really excited to be part of the night. Been lucky to play with Zee, so can’t wait to see tonight.”

Wait, There’s More

• The Bruins are on a four-game win streak, most recently beating the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 on Tuesday; they have won six of their last seven games, too. Thursday’s matchup against the Kraken closes the B’s five-game homestand.
• Jeremy Swayman will start in net for Boston. The goaltender last played on Tuesday against Detroit and posted his first shutout of the season – and 17th of his NHL career – with 24 saves. Swayman has a 2.79 goals against average and a .905 savage percentage through 32 games.
• Pavel Zacha has six points in his last five games, including four goals and two assists. The 28-year-old forward had his first career hat trick on Saturday against the New York Rangers. Zacha is on the second line with Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson.

Opposing View

• The Kraken are playing the second game of a back-to-back; they fell 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday at Prudential Center. Adam Larsson and Jared McCann scored in the loss, and netminder Philipp Grubauer made 23 saves. Seattle has won two of its last five games.
• Jordan Eberle leads the Kraken with 30 points (16 goals, 14 assists) through 43 games. The 35-year-old forward has been skating on the first line with Kaapo Kakko and Matty Beniers. Eberle enters Thursday’s matchup in Boston on a three-game point streak; he has two goals and one assist through that stretch.
• Ryan Lindgren is in his first season with Seattle. The 27-year-old defenseman was a second-round pick for the Bruins in the 2016 NHL Draft. Lindgren is projected to be on the third pair with Cale Fleury and has seven points (one goal, six assists) through 45 games while averaging 19:09 of ice time per night.