Islanders’ Chara breaks NHL record for games by defenseman
By JOE STIGLICH
Associated Press
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Zdeno Chara broke the NHL record for games by a defenseman Thursday night. The seven-time All-Star was on the ice for the New York Islanders for the opening faceoff against San Jose for his 1,652nd regular-season game. He broke the mark set by Hall of Famer Chris Chelios. Chara received a standing ovation from the SAP Center crowd and waved in acknowledgement when his feat was announced during a stoppage of play. The Slovak star, the tallest player in NHL history at 6-foot-9, is in the twilight of a decorated career that began in 1997 when he was just 20.