Chara: 'Exciting to put the Washington Capitals jersey on'

Zdeno Chara Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Zdeno Chara: 'It was exciting to put the Washington Capitals jersey on'

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 1/6/21

In a shocking decision, longtime Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara opted to sign a one-year, $795,000 deal with the Washington Capitals last week.

Chara thanked the Bruins organization in an Instagram post before traveling to Washington, D.C. for Capitals training camp this week. The 43-year-old met with the media for the first time as a Capital on Wednesday, saying he is excited to begin his career with the franchise.

"It was exciting to put the Washington Capitals jersey on."

Hear what Zdeno Chara had to say after his first full practice with Group A.#ALLCAPS | @MedStarHealth pic.twitter.com/B2gNJnmyHC
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 6, 2021

Chara was named captain of the Bruins when he signed with the franchise in 2006. He spent 14 seasons in Boston after playing for the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators.

The 2008-09 Norris Trophy winner led the Bruins to numerous Stanley Cup playoff appearances and a Stanley Cup title in 2011. In 1,023 regular-season games for Boston, Chara tallied 481 points (148 goals, 333 assists) and accumulated 1,055 penalty minutes.

He'll likely see less playing time with the Capitals, though they offered him a better role than the Bruins did.

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