In Chara, the Capitals have another coach
When Zdeno Chara was growing up, his parents put an emphasis on four simple expressions: hello, please, thank you and goodbye.
These phrases may seem small and obvious, but to one of the NHL's biggest figures, they are also the most underrated.
"(They are) words that are not always in our vocabularies, but they mean so much," Chara said. "I just, I like to be nice to the people and treat everyone with a big amount of respect."
Chara, who is in the midst of his first season with the Washington Capitals, is routinely described as humble and polite, a player whose demeanor off the ice gained him additional respect throughout his 23-year NHL career. He is also seen as a teacher in the league, someone with a willingness to help others.
"First and foremost I think you have to be a good human being," said Chara, who spent more than a decade as captain of the Boston Bruins before he arrived in Washington on a one-year deal. "You know, I always try to respect people around me, the people that I interact with."
It's this mind-set that has helped a lot of younger players Chara, 43, has interacted with over the years.
"It is nice to see them do well," Chara said. "It is nice to see that they establish themselves in the National Hockey League and you kind of always feel like you have a good feeling, that you were kind of little part of that process."
Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy, 23, was Chara's defensive partner with the Bruins for three years. He still remembers the day he first met him in 2017. He described Chara as "larger than life," with the 6-foot-9 captain towering over him as the two shook hands.
"From the beginning I come in and just believe in him and I knew he was the best and if I had this guy in my corner and telling me things to do, I knew I needed to listen to him," McAvoy said.
McAvoy still describes Chara as a role model. On the ice, Chara taught a once-quiet McAvoy to communicate more, a skill that McAvoy now tries to pass on to the other Bruins blue-liners.
"He puts everything together and still is such an incredible hockey player, which I feel like defies so many laws of physics and everything," said McAvoy, who called Chara his "onthe-fly teacher" when he was first entering the league. "He truly is an incredible athlete."
Boston winger David Pastrnak, who entered the Bruins locker room at age 18, also found a guide in Chara, who showed him how to carry himself both on and off the ice.
"He (taught) me how to be a pro, to be honest," Pastrnak said.
"Sounds like one of the simplest things. But at the same time, for a young player to become a real pro and act like a pro and behave, it's not always easy."
Washington Capitals great Peter Bondra, who played with and against Chara throughout his NHL career, considers Chara a good friend. The two have houses next to each other in Slovakia and see each other on occasion.