BRIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 23: General manager Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins prepares for the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft at Warrior Ice Arena on July 23, 2021 in Brighton, Massachusetts. (Photo by Mike Penhollow/NHLI via Getty Images)
Nikita Zadorov was quick to let the media know that he didn’t want to be referred to as “Big Z” like he was during his time with the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche out of respect for former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara.
Zadorov, who signed with the Bruins on Day 1 of NHL free agency, has admired Chara for years and told Responsible Gambling’s Daria Tuboltseva that he “would love” to meet the Bruins legend during his time in Boston.
“I want to know what helped him to play at such a high level for so long,” Zadorov said during his interview with Tuboltseva.
Chara spent 24 seasons in the NHL, including 14 seasons with the Bruins where he won a Stanley Cup in 2011. He signed a one-day contract with the team in 2022 and retired as a member of the franchise. And even though the two defensemen shared a nickname, Zadorov doesn’t want the nickname to continue in the place Chara helped change the culture.
“I’m far from Chara,” Zadorov told Tuboltseva. “I heard that he came to every training camp and was the best at tests until the age of 40,” he explained. “He did 30 pull-ups at once and cycling tests better than anyone else. That’s why he played so long and has so much respect in the league.”
Chara’s fitness regimen hasn’t slowed down in retirement. He’s run several marathons and recently completed his first Ironman event.
Zadorov adds even more size to Boston’s blue line. At 6-foot-6, he’ll pair well with Charlie McAvoy (6-foot-1), Hampus Lindholm (6-foot-4), Brandon Carlo (6-foot-5) and Mason Lohrei (6-foot-5). He’s physical and makes it tough for opponents in the regular season and the playoffs and isn’t afraid to play with a little edge.
