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Chara named finalist for leadership award

Email|Link|Comments (8) Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff June 2, 2009 10:43 AM

Zdeno Chara has been named a finalist for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award. The award recognizes players who are superior leaders in hockey and are also dedicated to community activities and charity.

Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla are the other finalists. The winner will be announced June 18.

Here is some text on Chara from an official release on the award:

Since signing with the Bruins on July 1, 2006, Zdeno Chara has led the team on a relentlessly upward climb that this season saw Boston finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference. Since his naming as captain before the 2006-07 season, the Bruins have gone from missing the playoffs a second straight year to winning 41 games and qualifying for the 2008 postseason to going 53-19-10 this past season. Chara’s goal totals in his three seasons with the Bruins have gone from 11 to 17 to 19. He has been named a finalist for the Norris Trophy for the second straight year and the third time in his career. The man-mountain from Trencin, Slovakia, similarly has been driven to scale impressive heights off the ice – last summer, he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to focus attention on Right to Play, the international charitable organization that uses sport and play to enhance child development in areas of disadvantage. Chara also raised $18,000 for Right to Play by winning the Hardest Shot competition at 2009 NHL All-Star Weekend after getting his competitors, the NHL, and the NHLPA to contribute to a pot to go to the victor’s charity of choice.

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8 comments so far...

did you give up on the exit interviews? what about a full season analysis, with player grades, etc?

Posted by hockey June 2, 09 11:03 AM

Interesting trio.
Chara has been captain and leader since he arrive.
Igilnia is a highly talented guy who's game is lacking in nothing.
Crosby is a more complete player than many give him credit for, but has had veterans that were known leaders (captains or A's on their teams for years) brought in to prop him up each of the last two season. Malkin was also the one to take over the dressing room mid season and say "we;re better than this" and then go prove it.

I think I'd have put Toews on the list ahead of Crosby, but the NHL being the _business_ that it is I grok this lists shape.

Posted by b&gbleeder June 2, 09 11:23 AM

and some so-called -fans here said he lacked leadership .

Posted by B's Legion June 2, 09 12:46 PM

No, not just so called fans, attentive ones as well.

I wouldn't put Crosby as a finalist, he'd be hard pressed to make the top 5 in fact, I think Richards, Toews, Lounogo, are all more deserving of the award than Crosby who has much better supporting cast, Dustin Brown has next to nothing on the ice with him, and then had their only reasonable goaltender yanked...and Nash needs to be considered for being a large part of the reason the Blue Jackets made the list for the post season for the first time in team history.

Posted by b&gbleeder June 2, 09 01:05 PM

This reward has nothing to do with supporitng cast. It is leadership on and off the ice. Chara is great on and off the ice, I say he beats Crosby for sure and Iginla and he will fight it out. In the end it is all Messier's decision.

Posted by RJ June 2, 09 01:47 PM

Having them fight it out for it is a great idea.

"In this corner, the man-mountain from Trencin, Slovakia..."

*Wagnerian music*

Posted by Medford Mickey June 2, 09 03:41 PM

Igilnia vs Chara... Where's Michael Buffer when you need him?

Posted by b&gbleeder June 2, 09 04:03 PM

Louongo? That's pretty funny. The team names him "captain" even though it's against league rules, can't wear a C, cannot be recognized as a captain or alternate, and can't speak to the officials about rule interpretations. Nice.

Posted by SoxFanInIL June 2, 09 10:46 PM