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Wayne Gretzky recalls his first interaction with ex-Bruins legend Zdeno Chara
In the NHL on TNT post-game segment, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky recounted facing off with former Boston Bruins star Zdeno Chara for the first time.
"The Great One" said that he was impressed by Chara's presence during warm-up and made a point to communicate with the coach to ensure that he was on the ice whenever Chara was playing:
"Oh my gosh, the very first game we played against him, I watched him in warm-up and I remember thinking, wow, and I went into the coach's office. I don't really say a whole lot. I said listen every time that Number 3's out there, get me out there."
Wayne Gretzky humorously compared his first year facing Chara to feeling like Bambi, implying a sense of vulnerability. In the second year, "The Great One" adjusted his approach by being prepared whenever Zdeno Chara was on the ice:
Gretzky also acknowledged Chara's development into one of the best defensemen, highlighting his imposing six-foot-nine stature:
"The first year is a little bit like Bambi. For the second year, I said every time he's on the ice, be ready I'm coming off six months, and he figured it out and became one of the best defensemen we've ever had, but he was a big, big man; let me tell you."
Zdeno Chara's NHL career spanned 24 seasons. He spent most of his career with the Boston Bruins (14 seasons). The seven-time NHL All-Star won the Stanley Cup once and received the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenceman in 2008-09.
Zdeno Chara was on the ice for Wayne Gretzky's final NHL goal
Wayne Gretzky played in the NHL for 20 seasons and represented the Edmonton Oilers, LA Kings, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues.
"The Great One" spent the last three years of his career with the New York Rangers after joining them as a free agent in 1996. Gretzky scored his final NHL goal on Mar. 29, 1999, in the Rangers' 3-1 win over the Islanders.
Interestingly, when Wayne Gretzky scored his 894th NHL goal, Zdeno Chara was only 22 and in his second tenure with the Islanders.
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