Zdeno Chara's Olympic Bed Equipped With Special Extension In Sochi
BOSTON (CBS) -- Zdeno Chara is the tallest man to ever play in the NHL, a fact that is repeated just about every single time he plays on national television with the Boston Bruins. While it may be a redundant statement at this point, the fact that it's been stated so many times might have helped in getting the 6-foot-9 defenseman a bigger bed for the Olympics in Sochi.
Well, sort of.
You see, this week, a photo of the Canadian hockey players' beds hit the Twitter world and spread like wildfire, mostly because the beds looked more fit to hold 6-year-old triplets than three full-grown professional hockey players.
As you can see, the lodging for the Canadian hockey team isn't exactly the Ritz.
The thought of seeing Shea Weber ($14 million salary this season), Sidney Crosby ($12 million) and Co. sleep in such conditions is a bit of a humorous thought. But quickly, the question was raised: How in the world is Chara going to fit into a bed that looks like it was designed for a tiny tyke?
Fortunately, the crew at Sochi quickly got to work to solve the problem. The result?
Take a look at this picture, tweeted by Tomas Kmec:
Slovakian newspaper SME noted that the bed was extra long, and organizers added an "extended bed on pedestal feet."
While it's likely nothing close to what Chara has grown accustomed to sleeping in (he's made more than $60 million from the Bruins since 2006), he at least won't have his feet hanging off the end of his bed.
That's good news for Chara, who will be well rested and have plenty of energy to pose for photos with figure skaters who stand at 4-foot-11.
Chara will carry the Slovakian flag during the opening ceremonies, having left the Bruins two games early in order to do so. His first Olympic game will be against the United States on Feb. 13 at 7:30 a.m. ET.
