The Boston Bruins will have a new captain for the first time in 14 seasons, as defenseman Zdeno Chara will not be returning to the team.The Washington Capitals announced Wednesday afternoon that they have agreed to terms with Chara on a one-year contract worth $795,000.Ken Campbell, a senior writer for The Hockey News, was the first to report that Chara signed with the Capitals.Chara confirmed that he will not be returning to Boston through a video he shared in an Instagram post. The video showed highlights of his top moments in a Bruins uniform and ended with the following message: "Always a Bruin. Thank you, Boston.""My family and I have been so fortunate to call the great city of Boston our home for over 14 years," Chara wrote on Instagram. "Recently, the Boston Bruins have informed me that they plan to move forward with their many younger and talented players and I respect their decision. Unfortunately, my time as the proud captain of the Bruins has come to an end.""As I begin this next chapter, I want the people of Boston to know how proud I was to be a Bruin and how grateful I am for all of the support over the years," Chara added. "'Thank you' does not seem adequate to express my sincere gratitude. I will always be a Bruin. I will always love Boston."The 43-year-old Chara signed with the Bruins on July 1, 2006, after splitting his first eight seasons in the National Hockey League with the New York Islanders and the Ottawa Senators. He was named Boston's captain just three months later and never relinquished the role.The 6-foot-9 defenseman known as "Big Z" cemented himself among the best defensemen in Bruins history, joining the likes of Eddie Shore, Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque. Chara ranks ninth among Boston's all-time players with 69 power play goals, and eighth with a plus-minus rating of +240. On Jan. 13, he became just the sixth player in the history of the franchise to play 1,000 games for the club. He finished the 2019-20 season with five goals, nine assists and a +26 plus-minus rating. He also found success with the B's in the postseason, leading them to a Stanley Cup title in 2011 and two more Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2013 and 2019. Chara, who is currently the oldest active NHL player, finished the 2019-20 season with five goals, nine assists and a +26 plus-minus rating. In September, he said that he wanted to stay in Boston and remain a Bruin. "I'm committed to Boston Bruins. I'm committed to Boston fans and the city of Boston," Chara said at the time. "I'm excited about the future of this team."Chara, a native of Slovakia, was drafted in 1996 by the Islanders with the No. 56 overall pick in the third round. He made history in his NHL debut on Nov. 19, 1997, with his size alone, as he became the tallest person to ever play in the league -- a distinction he still holds.After four seasons with the Islanders, Chara was traded to the Senators in June 2001. He made his first NHL All-Star Game appearance with Ottawa in 2003, and his point totals rose in each of his four seasons with the team.In the summer of 2006, the Senators chose to keep defenseman Wade Redden over Chara and allowed "Big Z" to enter free agency. Redden left Ottawa for the New York Rangers in free agency just two years later and retired from the NHL in 2014.Chara won two major awards during his 14 seasons with the Bruins, claiming the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman in 2009 and the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2011. He also made five more NHL All-Star Game appearances with Boston (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012).The best season of Chara's Bruins tenure came in 2010-11 when he led the NHL in plus-minus rating (+33) and finished the regular season with 44 points (14 goals and 30 assists). He helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972, and finished with a league-high +16 rating in the postseason.In the following season, Chara had the best offensive output of his NHL career with 52 points by scoring 12 goals and notching 40 assists.In 2013-14, he scored 17 goals and finished with 40 points and a +25 rating, earning First-Team All-Star distinction at the end of the regular season for the third time in his career. Chara played 1,553 NHL games, which ranks 15th all-time, during his 22 seasons with the Bruins, Senators and Islanders. He has 656 career points (205 goals and 451 assists) in regular-season play with a +288 plus-minus rating. In postseason play, he has scored 70 career points (18 goals and 52 assists) with a +48 plus-minus rating.