2010-11 BRUINS OPENER;Chara, club seal deal
PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Zdeno Chara recently said he'd like to play a dozen more NHL seasons. It looks like at least eight more of them will be as a Bruin.
General manager Peter Chiarelli has said for weeks he hoped to have Chara and Patrice Bergeron, both entering the final year of their current five-year pacts, signed to extensions before the start of the season.
The B's got the Bergeron deal done Friday. And yesterday, 90 minutes before the drop of the puck at O2 Arena, the new deal for Chara was announced.
''These are two very, very important pieces of our team, very important individuals on and off the ice,'' said Chiarelli. ''There's uncertainty as the season progresses in trying to retain these types of players, as they get closer to the free market. You never know what's going to happen.''
The 33-year-old Chara signed a seven-year, $45 million extension, meaning he can remain a Bruin through the 2017-18 season.
''I was very confident and positive about getting this deal done before the season,'' said Chara after the B's 5-2 season-opening loss to Phoenix. ''Since I arrived in Boston my goal was to establish this team and become contenders. I want to be a big part of it.
''I'm very proud to be a Bruin. I feel very comfortable where I am. My first priority was to stay in Boston.'' Coach Claude Julien was understandably happy to see Bergeron and Chara locked up long term.
''It's great for everybody,'' said Julien. ''There's stability there. We got Bergy one day and Z the next. The core group of players are taken care of. It gives the team some solid ground to stand on. Now it's up to us to build around that.''
Chiarelli said both sides compromised before Chara accepted a contract that actually represents a pay cut (the extension averages $6.4 million; his current deal averaged $7.5 million).
''He's been obviously a big part of our team,'' said Chiarelli. ''He embodies a lot of what we stand for. He's probably the hardest-working person I've seen on and off the ice. He has an incredible desire to win.
''I think this is an extreme show of good faith on both sides to want to get a deal done.''
