Zdeno Chára loved little dogs, joked Foligno from the Boston Bruins – ŠPORT.SK

today 09:58 | The NHL hockey game between Boston and Minnesota had a ceremonial opening. The legendary Slovak defender Zdeno Chára, who ended his successful career after 24 seasons in the overseas professional league, threw symbolic bulls before the duel, with which the home club honored its former long-time captain. Also Read VIDEO: Welcome Home Zee! The Boston Bruins said goodbye to Zden with an emotional cut… “He’s a guy I have a lot of respect for, because after coming to Boston, he completely changed the culture in the club,” said Bruins forward Nick Foligno, who fought fiercely with Char as an opponent. “The way he worked on himself and the way he approached his responsibilities is something amazing. He was an incredible leader and I like that he is a family man. I appreciate that I played against such a legend and I know what he means to this club and he made this city. He fully deserved this ceremony,” Foligno added, recalling the tough clashes with the Slovakian defender in front of the goal during power-ups. Nick Foligno Source: SITA/AP “I had to wear a special protector for him because he loved little dogs,” Foligno laughed. “Although it was difficult with him, we respected him as players. He was tough, uncompromising, but that’s also why he had such a successful career.” Chara is sixth in the club’s history in games played for Boston (1,023) and third in points among defensemen (481), behind Ray Bourque (1,506) and Bobby Orr (888). He wore the jersey of Boston in the years 2006-2020 and was the captain of the team the whole time. Together with Dito Clapper, he was the second-longest serving captain of the Bruins, one season longer he had the “C” on Bourque’s jersey. Chára played a total of 1,680 games in the pro league in the regular season, the most among defensemen in NHL history.