Zdeno Chara, an intimidating giant of the National Hockey League, shot to worldwide fame last week. He’s actually on loan to his original NHL club, the New York Islanders, where he started and ended his colorful NHL career. Chara isn’t the only one heading back to where he started. To be sure, this isn’t the first time one of the world’s most recognizable athletes has made such a dramatic career comeback. This article isn’t about extraordinary recoveries. It explores much more deeply the experiences of elite athletes such as Chara, Charles Woodson, Kevin Garnett, Randy Moss, James Harrison, DeWanna Bonner, Teemu Selänne, Ichiro Suzuki, and more.
Chara donning the Islanders jersey for the first time in 1997. He was with the team for four years total before moving to other franchises. After an impressive career that included a Stanley Cup victory and a lengthy tenure with the Boston Bruins, he returned to the Islanders for his final season in 2021-2022. His story encapsulates the emotional connection athletes often feel towards their first teams, highlighting the significance of those early years in shaping their careers.
Zdeno Chara’s Journey with the New York Islanders
Zdeno Chara’s long and storied professional career started when the Islanders drafted him in 1996. His first stretch with the club lasted from 1997-2001. It was during this time that he emerged as an elite-level prospect defenseman, demonstrating his elite combination of size and skill on the ice. In 2001, the Islanders traded him to the Ottawa Senators, marking the start of a successful career that would eventually include multiple All-Star selections and a championship.
After two decades filled with numerous accolades, including a memorable Stanley Cup win with the Boston Bruins in 2011, Chara decided to return to his roots. In 2021, he signed a one-year contract with the Islanders to finish his playing career where it started, on Long Island. More than anything, though, this full-circle moment resonated with Islanders fans and Chara himself. His return represented loyalty personified and provided a sense of closure. Yet this player’s impact on the franchise went much deeper than counting numbers.
Chara had to know that he was playing in his final game as an Islander as he stepped onto the ice. He looked back on his long career and the amazing story that wound him back home. His story serves as a reminder of the depth of connection athletes often feel towards the teams they started their careers with. Unfortunately, these connections regularly determine their decision making at a higher level later in their career.
The Comebacks of Other Legendary Athletes
Chara’s not the only one who’s had to deal with the return to a prior team. Charles Woodson’s dual careers with the Oakland Raiders begin to underscore another, even more important story in American history. Woodson’s initial stint with the Raiders lasted from 1998-2005. In the process, he racked up even more accolades and cemented himself as one of the league’s top cornerbacks. Woodson’s return to Oakland was widely celebrated in 2013 after his storied career with the Green Bay Packers. Throughout his tenure in Green Bay, he won Super Bowl XLV and earned several All-Pro honors. His second stint lasted through 2015, enabling him to retire with the same team he’d been drafted by.
Like so many other great players, Kevin Garnett’s legacy with the Minnesota Timberwolves is a testament to how athletes crave comfort near the end of their careers. Garnett began his NBA career with Minnesota in 1995. In the process, he became an immediate franchise icon, leading the team to a string of playoff runs. There, he played for the Boston Celtics and helped the team win an NBA Championship in 2008. Then, of course, he went back to the Timberwolves from 2014-2016. His return brought the league out in droves, with fans from every team happy to soak in one last chapter to Garnett’s Hall of Fame career.
Even Randy Moss’s contentious history with the Minnesota Vikings serves as an example of this trend. Moss had already starred for the Vikings from 1998-2004. During that stretch, he established himself as one of the most dynamic receivers to ever play in the NFL. After successful stints with other teams, he returned to the Twins in 2010. This short-lived return provided him the opportunity to reconnect with the franchise that had been instrumental in his early success.
The Resurgence of Sports Icons
This pattern of going back to previous employers doesn’t just apply to the gridiron and hardwood. It seeps into America’s pastimes. James Harrison’s two periods with the Pittsburgh Steelers are a perfect example of this trend. Harrison first came to Pittsburgh in 2002 and established himself as a defensive stalwart between 2004 and 2012. He enjoyed a short period of success with other franchises before returning to Pittsburgh from 2014 to 2017. In the course of that run, he earned an unassailable reputation as one of the franchise’s most venerated defenders.
Looking at women’s basketball, one of the best examples of this trend is DeWanna Bonner reflected in her loyalty to the Phoenix Mercury. Bonner’s initial term with the Mercury ran from 2009 until 2019. In the process, she emerged as an influential player and player-leader, which propelled the team to a championship run. After three seasons with a different franchise, though, she’d come back home to Phoenix in 2025. Fast forward to today, and she’s a key cog into those short- and long-term goals.
Teemu Selänne came back to the same Anaheim Ducks team he played for from 1995-2001. This transaction is a prime example of how athletes frequently pursue an ending or last book on metaphorical teams that mean a lot to them. More than two decades later, Selänne is universally recognized as one of hockey’s all-time great forwards. His homecoming allowed him to finish his career exactly where it started.
Lastly, Ichiro Suzuki’s return to the Seattle Mariners after an illustrious career with various teams highlights this recurring theme across sports. His initial period with Seattle was from 2001 through 2012. Over the course of that decade, he became one of MLB’s most recognized and feared hitters. Having played his first years in Japan, once Ichiro came back to the States. After two seasons of Alex Rodriguez glamorously departing and returning, Griffey rejoined the club and ended his career in the same city that had formed him.
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