Zdeno Chara had huge impact on Charlie McAvoy

"When I met him, I called him 'Mr. Chara' and he was like 'Don't do that. Call me Z,'"

"He just has that larger than life persona. I was just wide-eyed. You look up to him, obviously, and I was just blown away by how much of a gentleman he was and how kind he was to me. At that point, I was just a 19-year-old kid and it was just amazing how welcoming he was and that was really part of the culture that he created here."

"Then ultimately that rookie year we became partners. I just learned so much for him, so much. He really helped me grow as a pro and to find the game, the consistency and what I wanted to become as a professional. I credit so much of that to Z, I really do."

Charlie McAvoy first met Zdeno Chara in April 2017 after being called up from Providence for a playoff series against Ottawa. McAvoy addressed Chara as 'Mr. Chara' and Chara asked to be called 'Z.' Chara displayed a larger-than-life persona while also being welcoming, kind and a gentleman to the 19-year-old. Chara re-instituted a hard-to-play-against work ethic and created a team culture for the Bruins. Chara partnered with McAvoy during his rookie year and provided mentorship that helped McAvoy develop consistency, professional habits and his identity as a player. Chara's No. 33 will be raised to the rafters of the Garden.

Read at Boston Herald