Zdeno Chara's final moment with his sons left the hockey world in tears

The towering defenseman skated his final shift in front of a home crowd in Slovakia, and instead of taking a curtain call, he knelt down at center ice, untied his skates, and left them right there on the blue paint.

It is the kind of image that does not need much explanation.

Nineteen years in the NHL, a Norris Trophy, a Stanley Cup, the tallest player to ever lace them up, and in the end he chose to leave his equipment behind rather than carry it off himself.

His sons Ben and Zack were waiting for him, both wearing number 33 jerseys of their own, and they walked out of the arena together as a team of teammates lined the tunnel with sticks raised overhead.

Chara has always carried himself differently than most players his size would suggest.

He was known around the league for his discipline, his training regimen that bordered on obsessive, and a leadership style that rarely needed raised voices to be effective.

Watching him lower himself to the ice one final time, hands shaking slightly as he worked the laces, showed a side of him that fans rarely got to see during his playing days.

There is no official word yet on whether Chara will step into coaching, front office work, or simply enjoy time with his family after decades on the road.

Whatever direction he takes, Saturday night in Slovakia made clear that his connection to the game and to the people who watched him play is not going anywhere.

Fans lucky enough to be in the building got to witness the closing of a truly rare career.

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