MANCHESTER — Zdeno Chara came in all forms Monday.
There
was the pig-tailed Chara. The burly blond-haired Chara. Even the
red-haired Chara. There was the old Chara and the young Chara. But the
only Chara standing 6-foot-9 was the real Chara, and that was the one
all the other Charas came to see.
“I was really surprised by how
tall he is,” John Valvo, 12, of Bedford said after the captain of the
Boston Bruins passed by a line of more than 60 people — many wearing
Chara sweaters and T-shirts — waiting outside the office of
Hoertdoerfer/Connelly Dentistry on Elliot Way to get an autograph and
their picture taken with him.
None of the Charas — including the real one — seemed too concerned about the team's slow start.
“We
know that we are not having a great start,” Chara said, “but we just
have to make a few adjustments and make things a little easier and
better, and we should be fine.”
The Bruins are 3-5 and already eight points behind conference-leading Washington. Too early to worry?
“I think they can come back,” Valvo said.
Chara said the team's lack of offense — the Bruins rank near the bottom of the league in goals per game — has to improve.
“Right
now, it seems like scoring goals is a little bit harder and we
sometimes make plays that are not as simple,” Chara said. “We have to
make things a little more simple and we should be all right.”
Chara
took advantage of an off day for the Bruins to come to Manchester and
launch the inaugural Big Z Challenge. The initiative was to benefit the
Little Baby Face Foundation, which provides corrective surgery for
children with facial deformities.
Dentists Bryan Hoertdoerfer and
Tom Connelly have both volunteered their time for the foundation, which
flies in financially needy patients from around the world for surgeries
in New York City. They are hoping to raise $10,000 for the foundation
through the Big Z Challenge.
The Challenge was a stickhandling
drill, but many of the people there Monday — mostly patients at
Hoertdoerfer/Connelly Dentistry or friends — were just there to have
their picture taken with Chara and get his autograph. They paid $30
each.
Steve Cavanaugh, 11, of Chichester brought his Stanley Cup
replica bank for Chara to autograph; Sophia Hausberger, 7, of Nashua and
her father Stefan had a picture they took of Chara holding the real
Stanley Cup in the parade that followed Boston's win over Vancouver in
the Cup finals.
Hoertdoerfer said all the money raised would go
directly to the Little Baby Face Foundation; he said Chara's appearance
fee was paid for by Hoertdoerfer/Connelly Dentistry.
Hoertdoerfer
and Connelly, who both play hockey several days a week, have a
relationship with Chara that dates back several years when Chara first
visited Connelly's Boston office. Hoertdoerfer is currently the team
dentist for the Bruins.
Chara said he makes public appearances when he can.
“When
I have some free time, I don't mind doing appearances,” Chara said. “I
know it's important for community and always for fans.”
And for the kids in line, this was a trip to the dentist's office they were all happy to make.
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