Zdeno Chara will have his No. 33 retired by the Boston Bruins before their game against the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 15 at TD Garden in Boston.
It will be the 13th number retired by the Bruins and first since Willie O'Ree's No. 22 on Jan. 18, 2022. Chara, a former defenseman and Boston captain, will be the first player born in Europe (Trencin, Slovakia) to receive the honor by the franchise.
"Yeah it was quite surprising to me," Chara said Tuesday. "I had no idea that was coming and, as you saw, it was quite a shock. Obviously it's a huge honor, incredible honor. I never imagined, coming to Boston, that one day I'm going to have my jersey retired and hanging in the rafters. It's such a privilege to be part of the organization and the city and have the fan support for all these years. I just feel like it's just such an incredible feeling to have everybody being part of that journey, so it's just something that's going to be sinking for probably the next few days but I'm so grateful for that."
The Bruins named him a hockey operations adviser and mentor Sept. 25.
"I'm just another asset they can use, to pick the brain, to help, to give them the advice on certain situations," Chara said the next day. "Just if I can be a help, maybe guidance, or a little bit of mentorship in that department to help them grow as people and as [men] and as leaders, that's what I'm going to do."
Chara retired from the NHL on Sept. 20, 2022, signing a one-day contract with Boston. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame and the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame with the Class of 2025.
"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. "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."
Chara played his first four NHL seasons for the New York Islanders after they selected him in the third round (No. 56) of the 1996 NHL Draft and the next four with the Ottawa Senators after he was acquired in the trade that sent Alexei Yashin to New York on June 23, 2001. The Bruins signed him to a five-year contract July 1, 2006, and named him captain Oct. 3, a title he held throughout his 14-season tenure, the second-longest in team history behind Ray Bourque (15, the first three seasons were shared with Rick Middleton).
"When I became a captain," Chara said, "I knew the history, what this team had for many years before I arrived, and you try to embrace it and also acknowledge that you are not going to be -- I'm not going to be Bobby Orr, I'm not going to be Ray Bourque, but at the same time I knew that I want to be myself and lead my way, and do it in maybe different ways than they did before, but still in a form of that identity and structure that this team had for a long time, so that's what I did.
"I was just really embracing that role and trying to lead the team, my teammates, to that direction, and it was a lot of fun. But it took the whole team, again, the commitment from everybody and like I said, I was very fortunate, lucky, that we had the team and the players that we had."
Chara (6-foot-9, 250 pounds) had 481 points (148 goals, 333 assists) in 1,023 regular-season games with the Bruins. He's eighth in franchise history in games played and third in goals, assists, points, power-play goals (69), short-handed points (19) and average ice time per game (24:29) by a defenseman. He won the 2009 Norris Trophy voted as best at his position and helped Boston win the Stanley Cup with a seven-game victory against the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
He played in the FInal twice more (2013, 2019) and had 70 points (18 goals, 52 assists) in 200 Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Senators, Bruins and Washington Capitals. His 14 Game 7 appearances are tied with Patrice Bergeron, another retired Bruins captain, for the most by an NHL player.
"I really enjoyed being part of the great teams," Chara said. "I've said it many times, this is a team game and this is for all those players I played with in the past and present, in my last few years, to share that locker room and being able to lead this organization and making the impact that we as the players committed to and set the goals of winning championships. It's a team effort, so as much as you want to say what I've done and all these recognitions, it's also part of their part, helping me to be the best I could be.
"I just took a huge amount of pride to wear that jersey, to represent that logo, like I said, to feel the support from the city, from the fans, and have the players, the teammates that we had here. It was just ... I'm so grateful for that. It's amazing to have that support."
Chara, a winner of the 2011 Mark Messier Leadership Award presented annually to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team on and off the ice, played 1,680 games over 24 NHL seasons. He set the record for most NHL games played by a defenseman, 1,652 to pass Chris Chelios, when the Islanders lost 4-3 in a shootout to the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 25, 2022. His NHL career ended with the team that drafted him when he scored at 19:16 of the third period in a 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on April 29, 2022.
"There is no greater embodiment of what it means to be a Boston Bruin than Zdeno Chara," Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs said. "Zdeno brought a special brand of leadership to the Boston Bruins by challenging and empowering his teammates every day. Over his 14 years as a captain, Zdeno helped define Boston Bruins hockey with his drive for on-ice excellence and sportsmanship, along with his off-ice commitment to serve the greater Boston community."
Chara's No. 33 will join O'Ree, Middleton (16), Neely (8), 24 (Terry O'Reilly), 77 (Bourque), 7 (Phil Esposito), 9 (Johnny Bucyk), 4 (Bobby Orr), 15 (Milt Schmidt), 2 (Eddie Shore), 5 (Aubrey "Dit" Clapper) and 3 (Lionel Hitchman).
"The rafters are a fitting home for 33, because there will never be another Zdeno Chara," Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs said. "From his skill, size and physical dominance on the ice, to his leadership in the locker room and impact on the Boston community, 'Zee' is a legend of the game and the ultimate Bruin."
NHL.com senior writer Amalie Benjamin contributed to this report
