Zdeno Chara Out Monday, Undergoing More Surgery On Jaw
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bruins captain Zdeno Chara won't be playing Monday night against the Washington Capitals, and he won't be singing any Christmas carols over the team's holiday break either. Chara is going under the knife again on Monday, undergoing another procedure for the broken jaw he suffered during Boston's run to the Stanley Cup Final last season.
Chara explained that the scheduled procedure will remove screws and plates from his jaw. He has dealt with some infection issues during the healing process, and hopes that removing all the hardware now that his mouth is all healed up with prevent any further issues.
"The area where the surgery was done got infected, which is kind of rare, but it does happen after six months," Chara told reporters on Sunday. "The decision was made to avoid maybe further troubleshooting with that area to basically remove all the plates and screws and clean it up. Pretty much the same [procedure], just instead of putting the plates in, it's gonna be taking the plates out."
As for the timing of the surgery, Chara said there really wasn't a good time to go under the knife again. But in undergoing the procedure now, he'll only miss one game -- even if it means an interruption to his holiday break.
"He leads with everything he does," said fellow defenseman Charlie Mcavoy. "It's just a testament to his character. He always puts everyone in front of himself. Hopefully this doesn't hinder him from being able to have a great holiday with his family."
Chara and the Bruins are confident that he'll be back on the ice when Boston returns to action Friday night in Buffalo. The B's captain famously took a puck off his face in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues, resulting in multiple fractures. Being the hockey player he is, Chara underwent surgery, had his jaw wired shut, and returned to action the next game.