"I like just about everything that Zee has done over the years," said O'Reilly, who wore the "C" on his Boston jersey from 1983-85 and is one of the most beloved Bruins of all time. "I can't think of a flaw in his game.
"He's been probably one of the best captains in the history of the Boston Bruins. He's played any kind of hockey you want to play. He's been used since he arrived here (in 2006-07) to shut down the best offensive players in the NHL. He's taken it upon himself to see that none of his teammates are abused, but he does it with almost a Don Quixote attitude. He doesn't go after anybody. But if they come at him and hit him hard, he plays that kind of game."
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O'Reilly played his entire 891-game NHL career for the Bruins from 1971-85, scoring 606 points (204 goals, 402 assists) and rumbling his way into the hearts of Bostonians as he was assessed 2,095 hard-earned penalty minutes.
"Zee will take a good, clean, hard check and it won't faze him at all," O'Reilly said. "But if somebody gets one of his teammates late or dirty, he's right there and he's telling how unacceptable it is. Even then, he'll get a big, tough, well-established scrapper, handle him quite easily. I'm amazed at his self-control in situations like that.
"He's got such a solid game defensively with his reach and his size and his toughness. That shot from the blue line on the power play doesn't hurt, either. Off the ice, and in the community, Zee has just been a blessing. I fully expect to see his number up in the rafters down the road.
"I'm not surprised that he's is still playing as effectively as he is. He plays a very clean but hard game. If you're a smaller forward, under or around 6 feet and you're going into the corner, it's going to hurt. For an awful lot of players, that takes a little bit of an edge off their game. Then there's his experience, knowing where to position himself. The radius he can reach with that long arm and stick, that's tough to score goals against."
Chara was selected by the New York Islanders in the third round (No. 56) of the 1996 NHL Draft. He played 231 games in four seasons with the Islanders then was traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2001. Chara played 299 games in four seasons with the Senators, and he signed with the Bruins as a free agent in 2006. He has played 969 games with the Bruins.
Chara has 646 points (202 goals, 444 assists) in the NHL.
On the eve of Chara's 1,500th game, four other former Bruins captains spoke to NHL.com about the veteran's longevity and leadership, and more.