Zdeno Chara’s Height Makes Him the Tallest Player in the NHL

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Defenseman Zdeno Chara, captain of the Boston Bruins, is getting ready to lead his team against the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. The final game of the National Hockey League playoffs is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start tonight at TD Garden in Boston.

As captain of the Bruins, Chara is looked up to by many of Boston’s players, based on his veteran status and history in the league. Chara also happens to be 6’9″, so everyone looks up to him for one reason or another.

Here’s what you need to know:

He Is the Tallest Player on the Bruins’ Roster

Chara measures out at 6’9″ and weighs 250 lbs., according to Hockey Reference. He’s 42 years old and has been playing in the NHL for 22 years. In the picture above, he towers over Boston Red Sox legend David “Big Papi” Ortiz, who stands 6’3″ (to be fair, Chara is wearing skates).

Born March 18, 1977, Chara is the second-oldest active player in the league, behind Matt Cullen of the Pittsburgh Penguins (November 2, 1976). Boston right winger Lee Stempniak is closest to him in age, nearly six years his junior.

In terms of his teammates, he’s a full foot taller than fellow d-men Matt Grzelcyk and Torey Krug, as well as forward Brad Marchand, all of whom stand 5’9″. Brandon Carlo, a 6’5″ defenseman out of Colorado Springs, is the closest to Chara in height.

He Is the Tallest Active Player in the NHL

Chara doesn’t just set the bar in the Bruins’ locker room, he sets it for the entire league. He is the tallest player in the NHL, with only one man, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tyler Myers (6’8″), within an inch of his massive frame.

At 6’7″, Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen are the only other players within two inches of Chara’s height. Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Scott Darling and defenseman Dougie Hamilton, Dallas center Martin Hanzal, Nashville Predators center Brian Boyle, New York Rangers winger Tim Gettinger, Ottawa Senators center Logan Brown, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Samuel Morin, Pittsburgh Penguins center Nick Bjugstad and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman round out the dozen tallest players in the National Hockey League at 6’6″.

In the picture above, Chara posed for a picture with Nashville Predators center Rocco Grimaldi, who, at 5’6″, is the shortest player in the NHL. There’s a full 15-inch difference between the two men and, as you can see, Grimaldi doesn’t even reach the top of Chara’s shoulder.

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