Bourque: Chara an all-time great Bruin

Sep. 21—It was the fall of 2006, the Boston Bruins' first home game of the season.

Ray Bourque, who has attended many games at the T.D. Garden since his retirement in 2001, made it a point to be there for this particular opening night.

It was Zdeno Chara's first game — of 1,273 games — as a Bruin.

Chara played 30 minutes and scored a blazing goal from the point on the power play.

Sounds a lot like a typical Ray Bourque performance.

"I wanted to see him in person," said Bourque, who played 1,619 games as a Bruin. "And he was everything they said he was. He was big, strong, tough and a durable defenseman. You could see he was going to be someone potentially special."

Over the next 14 years Bourque saw — like himself and a few other guys like him with their numbers retired in the rafters — how special Chara really was.

Chara not only won a Norris Trophy, as the NHL's top defenseman, in 2008-09, but he was voted in the top five for the award eight times.

Bourque copped the Norris Trophy five times and was in the top three 15 times.

"Zee was another of these great defensemen who played for the Bruins," said Bourque, referring to a few who played before him, including Bobby Orr and Brad Park.

"He really came to the Bruins at a crucial time, with the franchise looking for an identity. He brought more than talent to the rink every day. He brought character. He brought a work ethic. He brought a passion for the game. He was a guy you could always depend on. That's important for the young guys to see."

There was no coincidence that the Bruins went on a run, which included three Stanley Cup berths, and one championship, with Chara as the team captain.

"That's the goal, to win a Stanley Cup, and he helped do that here in Boston," said Bourque. "For me, his consistency was special. But that came from hard work and dedication. His workouts were amazing. He would go to the gym after a game. That's impressive stuff. That's commitment from your best players."

Bourque puts Patrice Bergeron in a similar category, as a player who didn't have to yell and scream to lead.

"When you have a winning team, the best players are also best people," said Bourque. "The young players are watching. They watch how you prepare; how you treat people. Zee and Patrice epitomized that leadership."

Bourque was very happy to hear about Chara and the Bruins agreeing to get him back to Boston to sign a one-day contract and retire as a Bruin.

"He's an all-time great," said Bourque. "He was a lot of fun to watch. He played the game right. and the fans appreciated him, for obvious reasons.

"His number will be retired some day soon, and I expect to be there for that, too."

You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.