On Aug. 21, former New York Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara will be playing in an event called “Zee’s Final Shift”, a farewell game for the 49-year-old Hockey Hall of Famer.
The farewell game will be held at the Winter Stadium in Trenčín.
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Chara, who began his career with the Islanders in 1997-98 and returned to the team for his final NHL season in 2021-22, has invited many of his former teammates to this event, including some who played on Long Island.
Johnny Boychuk, who is currently a part of the Islanders’ player development squad, never played with Chara on Long Island. But the two won a Stanley Cup together with the Boston Bruins in 2011.
The same goes for Dennis Seidenberg, who was on that Boston team and, like Boychuk, is working for the Islanders in player development.
Then we have Zigmund Palffy, who was a fifth-year Islanders forward when Chara walked through the doors in 1997-98, playing a part of two seasons together.
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Fellow Slovakian Miroslav Satan, who played with Chara in Boston for one season in 2009-10, spent three seasons on Long Island (2005-2008).
Tomas Vanek’s time with the Islanders spanned only 47 games in 2013-14 after being acquired and then traded off the island ahead of the 2014 NHL Trade Deadline.
Robert Reichel played for the Islanders as well (1997-1999).
Here are the remaining invitees: Marian Hossa, Chris Kelly, Patrice Bergeron, Ray Bourque, Andrew Ference, Michal Handzuš, Jaromír Jágr, Tomáš Kaberle, Duncan Keith, Anže Kopitar, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Adam McQuaid, Daniel Paille, David Pastrňák, Mark Recchi, Andrej Sekera, Marco Sturm, Aaron Ward, and Jakub Voráček.
Learn more about the event here:
Úvod | ZEE’S FINAL SHIFT Zdeno Chára je prvým slovenským hráčom, ktorý ako kapitán mužstva získal Stanley Cup (v sezóne 2010/11).
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