- Zdeno Chara wants to grow his role in the Bruins front office
- Big Z said in January he had no interest in a title, but his playing days formally ended in August
- Read below for what Chara said about where he has the most impact in Boston
Zdeno Chara wants a bigger job in Boston.
The Bruins legend told Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic that he is ready to pour himself into growing his front office role, a year into working as a hockey operations advisor and mentor. Chara was asked what he gets the most out of in the job, and his answer had nothing to do with a title.
“I love to be working where I have the most impact and positive impact, that’s always with players. Everything starts and ends with players. Having interactions, meetings and dialogue and helping players out individually, whether that’s one-on-one or in group meetings, I really enjoy that.”
He also said he would not mind picking up more hockey operations work, which is a real shift from where he sat eight months ago.
Back in January, days after his No. 33 went up to the TD Garden rafters, NHL.com asked Chara whether he wanted to end up in coaching or management. He shot it down.
“Right now, no. I feel very comfortable right now. I can’t commit to full time because I want to be with my kids and present with my family, but I don’t know what the future will hold. Honestly, I don’t seek any titles. I have no ego to go somewhere like upstairs or on the bench.”
Take a look back at the night the Bruins raised his number:
What changed is that the playing part is finally closed. Chara ripped a 108.8 mph slap shot at age 49 and left his skates at center ice in Trencin last month at his farewell game, Zee’s Final Shift.
There is also room in Boston’s hockey operations group right now. Don Sweeney lost both of his assistant general managers this offseason, Jamie Langenbrunner in May and Evan Gold on Aug. 1, and promoted Dennis Bonvie and Jeremy Rogalski into those chairs.
Chara’s first season on staff kept him close to the ice. He ran on-ice and off-ice work, sat in on development decisions, and worked one-on-one with defensemen in Boston and with prospects at the AHL level.
His playing résumé is not up for debate. Chara played 1,680 games, seventh-most in NHL history, across 24 seasons, spent 14 of them wearing the Bruins’ C, won the Norris in 2009 and the Stanley Cup in 2011, and went into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2025.
Boston already hung his number. Chara is asking for more work in the building underneath it.
