MONTREAL – Zdeno Chara hoisted the Stanley Cup as captain of the Boston Bruins two weeks ago. Next, the big defenseman will be meeting with the Montreal police.
Police say they intend to question Chara in the coming weeks and decide whether to press charges for the hit that sidelined Montreal forward Max Pacioretty with a concussion and a cracked vertebra.
Quebec's director of criminal prosecutions ordered an investigation into the hit by Chara during a regular-season game against the Canadiens on March 8.
Police spokesman Ian Lafreniere said Chara is the last person they need to speak with to complete their investigation. He added that the Bruins have been cooperative, and hired a Montreal lawyer to act as an intermediary.
Pacioretty recently signed a new two-year contract with the Canadiens and is expected to be ready for next season. He reacted to the news about the investigation on Twitter.
"Last comment on this: I hope Chara is NOT prosecuted. I have moved on from my incident and I hope everyone else can do the same," he wrote. "All I am focused on is getting ready for next season, and will no longer comment on the past."
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