Brandon Carlo recently paid an awesome tribute to Zdeno Chara, opening up about what it was like coming into the league as a rookie paired with one of the most dominant defensemen in NHL history.
Carlo was selected 37th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2015 draft and made the jump straight to the NHL the following season, where he was paired with Chara on Boston’s top defensive pairing right out of the gate. It wasn’t an easy assignment for a 19-year-old. But having a future Hall of Famer by his side made the transition far smoother than it could have been.
Brandon Carlo on Zdeno Chara
Appearing on the Cam & Strick Podcast, Carlo reflected on just how much of an impact Chara’s presence had on him during those early years.
“I mean, you could just really experience his presence on the ice. He was in the league for almost 19 years at that point when I was coming into my rookie year. There’d be times I’d get into shoving matches in front of the net or whatever, and people would just back off. I’d be like, ‘What?’ and then I’d look over my shoulder and Z’s right there giving me a grin,” Carlo, who’s joined the St. Louis Blues ahead of the new season, said.
“So his presence really made me feel comfortable in my first couple of years for sure, which I’m thankful for. I think I did a good job of just asking questions and trying to learn as much as I could from him,” he added.
READ MORE: Zdeno Chara once dropped the gloves against a Bruins teammate
It’s easy to see why Chara’s reputation alone was enough to make opponents think twice. Standing 6-foot-9, Chara is widely regarded as one of the best defensemen to ever play the game. Across 24 NHL seasons with the Islanders, Senators, Bruins, and Capitals, he racked up 209 goals and 680 points in 1,680 games. He also won the Norris Trophy in 2008-09, and captained Boston to a Stanley Cup title in 2011. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2025.
Carlo spent his first four NHL seasons playing alongside Chara before the veteran left Boston in 2020. Since then, Carlo has developed into a reliable shutdown defenseman in his own right. And that’s something he’s credited in large part to the lessons he picked up watching and playing next to Chara during those formative years.
READ MORE: Zdeno Chara explains why he refused to room with Tuukka Rask
