BOSTON – When Zdeno Chara played his first game for the New York Islanders on Nov. 19, 1997, the NHL didn’t look like it does today.

The league had 26 teams. Wayne Gretzky was still a force. Fighting was still in vogue. Every defenseman was hooking and holding. The last helmetless player had only retired seven months before. No one would have bet a nickel on the possibility of Las Vegas ending up with an NHL team.

Twenty-one seasons later, the NHL looks dramatically different, except that Chara, 42, is still playing at an elite level for the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues.

“He is a special player,” said Bruins teammate Jake DeBrusk. “For him to adapt to all the changes in this game and be the dominant player he is … it’s impressive.”

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Chara’s defensive partner, Charlie McAvoy, wasn’t born when Chara started playing.

What makes Chara’s longevity even more remarkable is that he is 6-foot-9, roughly 7-foot on skates, and is thriving in a league that keeps becoming faster and younger every year.

“I kind of sensed where the game was going the last few years,” Chara said. “And I tried to work really hard in the offseason and during the season on my ability to read plays better.”

While younger players are flying all around the offensive zone, Chara relies heavily on always being in the right position.

“He plays the game a lot on his brains right now,” said Blues coach Craig Berube, who was Chara’s teammate briefly on the Islanders. “He’s been around a long time and he uses that long reach and gets in the way.”

Chara has a condor-like wingspan, giving him the ability to sweep away pucks with his stick that other defenders cannot reach.

“It’s his fitness level to begin with,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “His commitment to staying young. It’s his eating habits, his preparation. And he’s a very intelligent guy. He knows how the game has changed and he has adapted.”

Goalie Tuukka Rask has said Chara works so hard at improving his game that he is probably a better skater later in his career than he was earlier.

Everyone in the NHL seems to admire and respect how Chara has stayed relevant. At the completion of the Eastern Conference final, Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour paused longer during the handshake line to salute his effort and wish him luck.

“I find it very impressive what he can still do,” Blues center Ryan O’Reilly said. “It’s amazing what he’s still doing.”

Chara is leading the NHL with a +11 plus-minus in the postseason, while averaging 22 minutes, 21 seconds per game. His size also makes him an intimidating presence, and he uses it as a weapon.

Chara is the same age as another local sports hero, Tom Brady, and Chara’s teammates appreciate him as much as the New England Patriots appreciate the quarterback.

“Chara is a Hall of Famer,” DeBrusk said. “For sure.”