Zdeno Chara, 42, Becomes the Oldest Defenceman to Score in a Stanley Cup Final

Zdeno Chara has become the oldest defenceman ever to score in a Stanley Cup Final. The 42-year-old Boston captain hit the empty net in Boston's 5-1 win over the St. Louis Blues at the Enterprise Center on Sunday, leveling the series at 3-3 and forcing a Game 7 back in Boston.

Chara has led the Bruins all the way to the Final in his 13th season as captain. At 6ft 9in he's the tallest player in NHL history, and he still plays big minutes on the shutdown pair at an age when most defencemen are long retired.

He switched to a largely plant-based diet in September 2017. Sports Illustrated described it last year as no meat and no eggs, with fish on rare occasions. When a team PR assistant read out the cafeteria menu of steak tips and chicken, Chara replied: “So, everything I don't eat.”

He told the Boston Globe, as LiveKindly reported, that he noticed the difference straight away:

I can tell I'm feeling better. I know for a fact I'm playing with a lot more energy and I'm recovering faster.

He admits he was worried at first that he couldn't eat enough to fuel his frame, so he did his homework first:

Over the course of time, you start reading more and gathering more information - more books, more stuff you can search on different websites. You watch documentaries. Then it slowly starts making sense that this is not just strictly for people to lose weight.

Chara isn't the only big name in a contact sport to ditch meat. Last year up to 15 Tennessee Titans players went plant-based, and a 252lb international rugby player went vegan after watching a YouTube video. Then there's David Carter, the 300lb vegan NFL lineman.

Bring on Game 7. Powered by plants.