Despite not playing in the 4-0 victory over the Hurricanes, the B's captain joined his teammates on the ice - in full uniform - following the game, saying he felt it was an important sign of admiration for both teams.
"I wanted to pay respect to the Carolina Hurricanes for what they've done, how much they battled throughout the season, throughout the playoffs," said Chara. "They deserve it, they're a great team, they play really hard. The whole organization, coaching staff, management, I think they're great…big steps forward.
"They have great passionate fans, so I wanted to pay respect to the players I played against and battled against. And obviously wanted to be part of it with the guys, just be there with them."
Chara also joined in the handshake line and had a meaningful exchange with Carolina head coach Rod Brind'Amour. The Hurricanes bench boss asked Chara if he was going to be all right, before saying, "good luck to you, much respect for you. You can't keep doing this…good for you."
"I played against Rod a lot," said Chara. "I came in the league when he was in Philadelphia and obviously had a number of years, a number of battles, against him. He's a true warrior, great leader and captain. And obviously for Carolina Hurricanes, he was very valuable in 2006 [when they won the Stanley Cup].
"I really appreciated what he said. We have mutual respect and he's doing an amazing job as a coach, very similar to what he was as a player. He's leading and I wish him all the best."