Report: Six-time All-Star Zdeno Chara to decide playing future in September

Veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara will reportedly decide in September whether or not to play a 25th NHL season.  

Chara's agent Matt Keator told the Boston Globe that Chara was in "no rush" to make the decision, adding he would take the Summer to spend time with his family and assess where he is physical. 

The 45-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent on July 13.

This season, Chara played for the New York Islanders in a reunion with the team that drafted him in 1996. While Chara is most known for his time with the Boston Bruins, he played his first four seasons in the NHL with the Islanders from 1997 to 2001. 

Chara played 72 games for the Islanders, finishing with two goals and 12 assists while averaging nearly 19 minutes of ice time per game. 

A six-time all-star and Stanley Cup Champion with the Bruins in 2011, Chara has also won the James Norris Trophy and Mark Messier Leadership Award. 

Chara's 1,680 career NHL games rank him seventh all-time and first among defensemen. 

In 24 seasons for the Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Bruins, and Capitals, Chara has compiled 209 goals and 471 assists for 680 career points.