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It’s official: Chara joins KHL’s Lev Praha

Zdeno Chara

Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara carries the Stanley Cup after the Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 during Game 7 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Wednesday, June 15, 2011, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

AP

The KHL scored another huge lockout signing on Tuesday -- literally, huge.

According to agent Matt Keator, Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is set to join HC Lev Praha, one of the KHL’s clubs based in the Czech Republic (Prague, to be specific.)

“He has friends there, and it’s within hours of his home in Slovakia,” Keator told USA Today. "[Prague] is a great hockey city.”

Chara’s signing overseas is significant given he represents an older, more veteran group -- one that, up to this point, has been hesitant uprooting itself.

The 35-year-old has over 1000 games to his credit and has been a virtual ironman since the lockout, appearing in 477 of 492 regular season games.

As for Chara’s new team, Praha is in the midst of its first KHL season and armed with a number of ex-NHLers: Erik Christensen, Marcel Hossa, Michal Repik and Martin Skoula, to name a few.

Chara will be the third locked-out player to suit up for the club, joining Calgary’s Jiri Hudler and Philly’s Jakub Voracek.