Yeah, Chara is probably a decent enough climber, considering his size. He has some serious leverage (i.e. long legs) working on his side. Maybe not so well on the long climbs, but I bet he can really motor up the short, explosive pure power climbs.
Hockey players, AFAIK, must be in all-around great shape - aerobically and anaerobically. The sport requires considerable amounts of both types of exertion. Trevor Linden, a longtime Vancouver Canuck, has been extremely competitive in his first couple years of competitive cycling in this area.