Time to make room in the rafters
Throughout the 100-year history of the Boston Bruins, being built on the blue line has been a huge part of the franchise’s success. Legends and icons like Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque have donned the Spoked-B in the essential position in the NHL. Zdeno Chara joined those elite players as a predominant fixture for 14 seasons in Boston.
The Bruins announced Monday that they will be retiring Chara’s No. 33 this season, with a ceremony held prior to the Jan. 15 game against the Seattle Kraken.
“It is truly beyond words to see my jersey, number 33, raised to the rafters at TD Garden,” Chara said in a statement released by the team. “This honor is greater than anything I could have imagined when I first came to Boston. I am forever grateful to the Bruins organization for trusting me to lead, to all my teammates past and present, to the fans whose passion and energy made Boston feel like home, and to my family who made everything possible. This moment is not just mine — it belongs to all of us.”
Chara signed with the Bruins as a free agent in 2006 and became the Original Six franchise’s 18th captain. He served as captain for his entire tenure in Boston.
“From the moment he arrived in Boston in 2006, Zdeno Chara brought with him an unmatched presence, combining size, strength, and skill with a leadership style that elevated everyone around him,” Bruins president Cam Neely said, per the team. “Zdeno set the standard with his professionalism, his legendary work ethic and his fierce competitiveness, and he did it all while representing our organization with the utmost class. As someone who has experienced what it means to have your number hanging in the rafters, I can say without a doubt that Zdeno’s No. 33 belongs there. It will serve as a permanent reminder of his place as one of the greatest Bruins of all time.”
The 6-foot-9 defenseman skated in 1,023 games for the Black and Gold, lighting the lamp 148 times while adding 333 assists for 481 points. He won the Norris Trophy in 2009 and had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup when he helped lead the Bruins to their first championship in 39 years in 2011, the same season he won the Mark Messier Award.
Chara was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2025. He was also elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2025. He joined the Bruins hockey operations staff last month when the club named him an advisor and mentor for the club.
More Bruins: Four Takeaways from Bruins’ shootout loss to Flyers
Troiani Rink Report 
Leave a comment