"My life might end": Former NHLer recounts being 'immobilized' against 'giant' Zdeno Chara

Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara held the distinction of setting the record for tallest player in NHL history at 6'9, easily one of the most intimidating figures to ever lace up a pair of skates in hockey's top league.

Most of his career was spent with Boston, though he also played with the New York Islanders (twice), the Ottawa Senators, and the Washington Capitals before he retired in 2022.

To say that Chara was a physically imposing presence would be a major understatement. And that's what former NHL player Louie DeBrusk found out as a young player with the Tampa Bay Lightning when he was challenged to fight by Chara, then with the Islanders.

As he explained during a recent episode of the podcast "Spittin' Chiclets," he thought his life was over!

"The most vulnerable I ever was the day I met Zdeno Chara," he said. "It was ridiculous. That was the one where I was like, 'Man, I might be over here. That my life might end here.' I'm sitting there at the face-off and the game is over. There's only, like, seven minutes left in the game, or something."

"All of a sudden, I feel this bump, and I look and I see this giant, and his gloves are off, and he's standing with his gloves off," he said. "And I'm like, I didn't even know this guy fought. I didn't know that this is really early in his career, right?"

"Like, I'm like, I'm like, I don't know if I didn't know this guy was a tough guy, and he grabbed me, and I've never been immobilized more by a guy in my life, because I'm fairly strong," he continued. "He stretched me out. And as he got later in his career, he would have broke my face."

Zdeno Chara led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 2011, and to a pair of additional Stanley Cup Final appearances

Selected with the 56th overall pick in the 1996 NHL Draft by the Islanders, Chara would play for both New York and the Senators before his career eventually took him to Boston.

He was immediately named team captain, and would lead them to the franchise's first Stanley Cup victory since 1972. When he lifted the Cup over his head following the successful Game 7 against the Vancouver Canucks, it was truly the highest that the hallowed trophy had ever been raised over one's head.

He also lead the Bruins to a pair of Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2013 and 2019, though they fell short on both occasions.