Is Zdeno Chara currently on his farewell tour?
Chara set the record for most games played by an NHL defenseman when he passed Chris Chelios (1,651) last month
At the time of this writing he's seventh in NHL history in games played (1659), sitting only behind Patrick Marleau (1,779), Gordie Howe (1,767), Mark Messier (1,756), Jaromir Jagr (1,733), Ron Francis (1,731) and Joe Thornton (1,707).
That means the Bruins longtime captain will need at least another season if intends to continue climbing up the all-time list. But will he be back for some more?
Chara was not dealt to a contending team before yesterday's trade deadline, perhaps hinting that he doesn't intend to move around any more. But just how many more games is he going to play in?
Big Z turned 45 years old last week and is on a one-year contract with the New York Islanders. The team is going to miss the post-season and has not shown any signs that it intends to compete for a Stanley Cup in the upcoming seasons.
Will Chara decide to play until someone tells him he no longer can? Will he retire and call it a career in the off-season? Will he be back with the Islanders next year? Or back with another team?
So many questions remain for the big man, but for now, we're just going to enjoy watching him play some more of his old style hockey!
NHL players in this story
Joe Thornton
