Bruins sign Chara to 7-year extension

Today it was announced that the Bruins have signed captain Zdeno Chara to a 7-year contract extension worth $45 million. It averages out to $6.4 million a year which is lower than the $7.5 million per year he is making now. This will keep Chara here in Boston through the 2017-18 season.

Props to Chara for taking lesser money than what he probably could have got on the free agent market. This should help the Bruins spend money correctly in the next offseason (with Michael Ryder becoming a free agent and a few other players).

Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club has signed defenseman Zdeno Chara to a seven-year contract extension through the 2017-18 season. Per club policy, financial terms of the deal will not be disclosed. Chiarelli and Chara will be available to the media in Prague following Saturday’s season opener against the Phoenix Coyotes.

The 33-year-old defenseman is entering his 13th NHL season and his fifth with the Boston Bruins. Signed by the Bruins as a free agent on July 1, 2006, Chara was named the 18th captain in Bruins history prior to the start of the 06-07 season on October 3, 2006 and has served as the club’s captain since. He captured the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman following the 2008-09 season after recording 19 goals, 31 assists and 95 penalty minutes in 80 games. This marked Chara’s first Norris Trophy of his career and the third time he had been named a Norris Trophy finalist (2004 with Ottawa, 2008, 2009 with Boston).

He established at least one career high in the major offensive categories in each of the last three seasons, as he had a career best 51 points in 07-08, a career best 19 goals in 08-09 and a career best 37 assists in 09-10. He has missed only 11 games in his four-year stint with the Black & Gold, playing in 317 out of a possible 328 games.
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