Zdeno Chara

That's my goal: to be the best at whatever I do and the best I can be. I'm looking and searching for ways to improve.

Hopefully I won't have to sleep with my feet out of the tent.

You don't go into a game thinking you might get hurt.

I want to stay in Boston. I want to be a Boston Bruin, and I want to continue to lead by example and share my experiences and my games skills with the younger players and my teammates.

I love Boston. I love the city. I think we have the best fans in the world.

The great part, or the interesting part, is that when you stop eating something, you stop missing it.

I felt as you get older, you're trying to find ways to improve your well-being, functioning, and energy level.

Everything you hear that people are losing as you get older, I want to be a step ahead of that.

But there's no problem to lift before the game in the morning, then play the game at night.

I've been a really big fan of climbing. I really got into it when I watched the show 'Beyond the Limit' about climbing Mount Everest.

First thing is first and let me be clear: I stand with the Black community. Black Lives Matter. There is no room in this world for racism. Period.

Sure, I've dealt with my own share of adversity as an outsider living in this country but I recognize my challenges were not made harder, or impossible, because of the color of my skin.

I will never know what it's like to walk down a street and feel unsafe. No one should have to experience that feeling.

We have to take better care of each other and respect each other. Equality must be a priority. Anything less is unacceptable.

It's one of those things, like in sports and other situations in life, you're going to have some adversities and some challenges that are similar to the race. You go uphill one moment and then you go downhill, but that's life too. You've got to be willing to sometimes take it slow but keep going.

It's always an honor when you have people trying to pick your brain and ask your opinions. I like being that. I've always been one of those guys that likes to think.

When it comes down to the game, I focus on the game.

People always take pictures and ask me for autographs. That just comes with it. We all do that.

I have so many people that I should be thanking, obviously starting with my parents. They did such a great job of raising me and so much was sacrificed for me to play hockey.

A lot of times life is spinning so fast around you that you kind of think it's out of control and that's when you need to slow down a little bit and take a break.

I love competing. I love doing all these things, coming to the rink, talking to the guys, doing the routine, working out in the summer, going through that grind.

Ideally, you want to have some guys get that rest... Because after 70-something games, you've practiced enough.

To miss games, I just don't think it's for me personally. I don't like it. The other guys might like it, but I like to play. I like to play games.

Every article starts that way: Zdeno Chara, six-foot-nine, big strong defenceman. I'm like, Oh my God, does every player get their weight and height listed before they write something about him? No.

Playing the whole season and going through the whole playoffs in 2011 was the hardest 10-month period.