- Zdeno Chára will organize a farewell match in August 2026.
- The match will take place at the ice rink in Trenčín.
- David Pastrňák and other legends will be at the match.
Former Slovak hockey player Zdeno Chára will make a definite dot next to his professional career next August. Following the example of his countryman Marián Hossa, he will organize a farewell match at the Pavel Demitra Ice Stadium in Trenčín. The first confirmed name is the current Czech representative David Pastrňák, who played with Char in Boston Bruins.
The exact date of the event is not yet known. At Friday’s press conference in Trenčín, the organizers informed that The duel will be held in the second half of August 2026. “The idea came a long time ago and I was not very convinced that I deserved something like this. Then we thought that the experience of the farewell Marian Hossa was fantastic. If we could get to the level he had his match, people would come into their own. It can be a beautiful event, ”said 48-year-old Chara.
Spectators under the castle of Matúš Čák will welcome the NHL star after three years. The last time in the summer of 2023, another Trenčín native Marián Hossa said goodbye to his career. His “Goodbye Game 81” also introduced Chara. There were former Swedish defender and four -time Stanley Cup winner Nicklas Lidström and former Captain Chicago Jonathan Toews. Marián Gáborík, Žigmund Pálffy and Peter Bondra were introduced from Slovak players. Similarly charged nomoslov is expected to be in Char’s exhibition, but other names except Pastrňák will learn the public later.
“We don’t want to say names yet. Of course, everyone can connect Boston Bruins and the names I played with. It is not a competition who will make a better match or attract more names. I will try to make the players with whom I have long -term relationships and memories when we played for the national team or in the NHL. We will try to reach out to larger names. I have some idea but I don’t have it numerically, ” said Chara, who plans to address the players in person.
The choice fell logically on Trenčín, Chára did not even think of another alternative: “It was a stadium where I first stepped on the ice. Practically it will be official ice, which I will leave for the last time in the quasi farewell. There is a connection, history and we can say that the stadium is in remodeling and it will be even more beautiful when we do it in the remodeled stadium, ”said Chara, who, He entrusted the organization to Petr Neshiš. A man who also participated in the farewell Marián Hossa, He revealed that the preparations for the farewell meeting are taking place. This time, the symbolism will revolve around the number 33 wore Chára.
“It is a process. We’ve been working on it for one or two months. We are doing a lot of work, we are addressing partners. We want it to be one of the main points of the program. The process of reaching players will have multiple phases. Today to call someone and talk to him that if he comes in a year is only the theoretical phase. At the beginning of the year they will be able to put it in their programs. We will gradually give the names out, ”he added Nermiji.
Chára fine -tunes the details of further collaboration with Boston Bruins, in the jersey he left the most striking track. In 2011 he became only the second European, and the first Slovak, who in the position of the captain led the team to the Stanley Cup.
“I have the offer, we are preliminarily agreed. We do not have details tightened to specific points. I am open to help where it will be needed. I like to communicate with the players when I can discuss and advise them with them. I also enjoy learning from coaches, management. I was behind the scenes of the past season and it is different from what you see as a player and what is going on behind those doors, ”said Chara, who was introduced to the Hall of Fame of Slovak Hockey this week.
In May 2025, it was adopted to an exceptional company by the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) and in the autumn of this year he complements the hetrik by entering the Hall of Fame in Toronto (HHOF).
Legendary defender is shortened by various activities after an active career. In the past period he has run out several marathons and he is also happy with the triathlon competitions “Ironman”. “I have found satisfaction, joy. Many people tell me why you do it? For it must hurt. Everything is strenuous when we do it fully. He officially ended his career in 2022, concluding it as a Boston player with whom he signed a one -day contract. Officially, he spent his last 24th NHL season in New York Islanders, who drafted him to profiligy in 1996.
The Slovak Bek is a NHL recorder in the number of matches played between the defenders – in the regular season they were completed by a total of 1680. Of all the skaters, only six players played more meetings, the European record is held by Czech striker Jaromír Jágr with 1733 matches. Chara scored 209 goals, 471 assists (680 points), 2085 penalty minutes and 301 plus points in the regular season.
He got three times to the first and four times to the second All Star team of the NHL. In addition to Norris’s trophy for the best defender, he also won the Mark Messier Award for the best leader among the individual awards. He represented Slovakia at three Winter Olympics in 2006, 2010, 2014, seven World Championships and started twice at the World Cup. He has silver medals from the World Championship 2000 and 2012 in the representation success collection. He finished second with the team of Europe at the World Cup in 2016.
