When Zdeno Chara made his NHL debut in 1997, Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy hadn’t been born yet. Patrice Bergeron, who was drafted in 2003 and is the longest tenured Bruin, was just 12 years old.
But to the 42-year-old Boston captain, age is only a number when it comes to how he treats his teammates. To him, each player is equally important and equally respected, no matter the amount of experience.
“Age doesn’t separate the conversations or personalities,” Chara told the media on Monday. “I’ve been saying that for a long time. We are treating everyone the same way no matter if they’re 18 or 40, if someone has 1,000 games or are playing in their first game.