The Hockey Hall of Fame officially inducted its class of 2026 on Monday night. 

This year’s class featured Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron, who was drafted by Boston in the second round of the 2003 draft and played his entire career with the organization until his retirement in 2023. 

On Monday, former Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara sat down with TSN Sports’ Gino Reda and Pierre LeBrun to talk about his relationship with Bergeron at the induction ceremony. 

“Just the person, the human being he is,” said Chara on what stands out about Bergeron. “He's such a gentleman, such a lovable guy. Always willing to help and like everybody knows is just a tremendous person on and off the ice. That's what you wish to have next to you in the locker room, in your personal life. If you have any advice that you're seeking, that's the  person you're calling and asking and he's just, like I said, my best friend.” 

Chara also spoke on Bergeron’s hockey IQ and gave his thoughts on what it was like to have Bergeron as a teammate. 

“Yeah, on top of that, he would probably produce some scoring as well,” said Chara. “I don't know if I can really explain it. It's just, he always read the game and the plays way ahead of everybody else. And I think that his competitive level was another level. He was always willing to compete and if he had a puck, good luck to get it from him. If he didn't have it, then he was hunting you for it. And yeah, he was always in a key moment, key situations on the ice, and making a positive impact.”

Chara played for the Bruins from 2006-20 and retired from the league in 2022. 

He was team captain throughout his tenure in Boston and had his No. 33 retired by the Bruins in January. 

Chara was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2025.