Watch as both the Islanders and Lightning bid farewell to Big Z as he plays his last NHL Game

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Aubrey
April 30, 2022 (5:13 PM)

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Last night the Islanders bid farewell to defenseman Zdeno Chara, in what might've been his last time on the ice. Chara is the oldest active player in the NHL, at 45. While he was once retired, Chara signed a one year contract last year with the New York Islanders, the same team who first signed him 26 years ago.

As we look back on such an impressive career, it's no wonder Chara is a hall of fame contender. He leads the record for most games played by a Defenseman, 1,680 to be exact, and 680 career points. He spent the majority of his career in Boston as Captain, where he led the team to a Stanley Cup in 2011, and picked up the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award, and James Norris trophy. While he was known for his leadership, he was seen for his size, standing at 6'5 he was nicknamed Big Z. During a game he'd be seen towering over the puck.

Even in his final game of the season against Tampa, two and a half decades in, Chara finished on a high by scoring the final goal of the game. While the Lightning held the lead ending the game with 6-4, Chara was able to go out on a high. As the game concluded, both teams and coaches went out to congratulate Chara on a heck of a career. While Chara didn't make any official retirement statements, he did comment that he believes the Islanders will be back and better than ever, whether he's amongst the roster we'll have to see. It isn't often where we see a player maintain the endurance to play the game well into their forties; even more rarely when an NHL player gets to end where they started.

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