Chara loved playing in Ottawa, but has grown accustomed to playing the role of villain in Canada's capital since signing with Boston in 2006.

That certainly showed when the Bruins captain's picks were booed by a partisan Senators crowd following the selections of Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul, who play for Ottawa's cross-provincial rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"It's going to be great for the fans," said Chara, who wasn't going to interfere with Alfredsson's drafting strategy. "I think it's fair enough to have the team of guys together, especially for Ottawa fans. ... They can have their home team players on the same team."

Chara won the "puck flip" and opened by taking Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk.

"He's an unbelievable player. I really admire the way he plays the game and the way he acts on and off the ice," Chara said. "That was my individual goal to get him first, and I was happy that I could do it."

He then turned his attention to the Bruins, showing support in selecting Tim Thomas with his second pick. The goalie created a stir this week by not going to the White House with his teammates, who were honored for winning the Stanley Cup.

"I think it's important to pick any player, but to pick Timmy, I think it's obvious that he is a great player," Chara said. "He's a tremendous goaltender, and he deserved to be picked second."

Chara avoided any mention of the controversy that led Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to suggest that the snub showed disrespect toward the presidency. Thomas provided a terse "No comment."

The American-born Thomas declined to elaborate on the explanation he provided on his Facebook page for skipping the visit, when he wrote: "This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country."