Zdeno Chara immortalized: The Bruins’ giant raises his number to the sky
In an emotionally charged night at the TD Garden, the Boston Bruins paid tribute to a hockey legend. Zdeno Chara, the imposing Slovakian defenseman, saw his number 33 ascend to the heights, joining the select list of icons who have left an indelible mark on the franchise. When Chara arrived at the Bruins in 2006, the number 3, which he had used at the beginning of his career, was already retired. So he chose 33 without giving it much thought. “I didn’t know how significant 33 would be,” Chara confessed on Thursday night, before his number joined Larry Bird’s in the same venue. This is the thirteenth number retired by the Bruins, an honor that places him alongside legendary defensemen like Eddie Shore, Bobby Orr, and Raymond Bourque.Winner of the Norris Trophy in 2009 and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2025, Chara played 14 of his 24 NHL seasons with the Bruins, leading the team to victory in the 2011 Stanley Cup. With 1,680 games played, he is the defenseman with the most appearances in the NHL. In addition, at 6’9″ he is the tallest player in league history, and his 108.8 mph shot in the 2012 skills competition remains a record. His teammates and other Bruins figures present at the ceremony highlighted Chara’s influence, who arrived at a team that hadn’t won a playoff series in six years, and transformed it into a champion. “It was the best decision I made,” he stated.“It’s a great honor. I can’t explain how honored I feel. I feel honored to be one of the numbers that are retired. To be part of that history, forever.”
Zdeno Chara
Bourque, along with Orr, both Bruins defensemen who finished their careers on other teams before reaching the Hall of Fame, were enthusiastically received. Among those honored with retired numbers present were Cam Neely, Willie O’Ree, Rick Middleton, Terry O’Reilly, and John Bucyk. Five members of the 2011 championship team, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi, Dennis Seidenberg, David Krejci, and Tuukka Rask, brought the retired number onto the ice, while Andrew Ference acted as master of ceremonies. In his speech, Chara named each player on the Bruins’ Stanley Cup-winning team. He explained that “without championships, you’re not going to have success, you’re not going to be recognized.” “Championships, that’s what they do. They elevate everyone, extend everyone’s careers,” he explained. “They create dynasties. They create stories. They create memories. They created what we’re experiencing tonight.” “It’s very simple: once you win the championship, everything gets much better for everyone. And the most beautiful thing is that you create extended families among yourselves. It’s true. You have bonds, you have friendships that are now forever. It’s incredible; it’s like you see your brother. You trust the person; you know everything about them. And whenever someone needs something, you’re there for them.” “That’s what championships do,” he said. “Not just for a race, but for the rest of your lives, it means something very special.”“Things really changed when Zee came here as a free agent,” Bourque said. “From that moment on, the culture and everything that goes with it, and the success and the streak they had, he was a big part of that.”
Raymond Bourque
And so, when the time came to raise his number 33 to the heights, Chara stood with his wife, Tatiana, while his children, Zack, Ben and Elliz, pulled on the ropes. “That’s the biggest reward for me: to see my children and my family do it instead of me. I think it gives me more joy to see them do it than the joy of doing it myself, because it’s much more meaningful,” he explained. “They deserve it more than I do.”“He wasn’t a ‘Rah, rah!’ type,” said former Bruins forward and current team president Neely, “but when he spoke, he did so with a purpose.”
Cam Neely
