Zdeno Chara will be immortalized in Boston.
The Bruins will retire the hulking defenceman's No. 33 jersey on Jan. 15, the team announced on Monday.
Chara's jersey will be the 13th hung in the rafters by the Original Six franchise, joining legends such as Willie O'Ree (No. 22), Bobby Orr (No. 4), Ray Bourque (No. 77) and Phil Esposito (No. 7).
He is the first European to receive the honour.
"It is truly beyond words to see my jersey, No. 33, raised to the rafters at TD Garden," Chara said in a statement sent out 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, 48, spent 14 seasons with Boston, serving as captain the entire time and leading the team to the 2011 Stanley Cup while playing over 1,000 games with the club. He retired in 2022 after signing a one-day contract with the Bruins and is set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in November.
In September, the team brought back Chara as a hockey operations adviser and mentor.
"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," president Cam Neely said in the same statement. "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."
For his career, the six-foot-nine Slovakian skated in 1,680 games with the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Bruins and Washington Capitals, recording 209 goals and 471 assists.
