When Zdeno Chara scored a hat trick in a 7-0 Boston win against Carolina back in 2011, he skated to center ice, pulled off an invisible hat and pretended to throw it onto the ice.
Capitals fans may remember that move from Peter Bondra, a longtime friend of Chara’s from back when they played in Ottawa together (yes, Bondra played in Ottawa, for 23 games in 2003-04).
Bondra is about nine years older that Chara, and they’re both Slovak, so it wouldn’t be surprising to hear that Chara ‘looked up’ – as much as he could look up to anyone – to Bondra.