Last night, Zdeno Chara had his jersey number, 33, retired by the Boston Bruins. During the beautiful ceremony, former teammates Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron shared heartfelt words about their former captain.
Zdeno Chara is widely considered one of the most legendary players ever to suit up for the Boston Bruins. Chara served as team captain for all 14 of his seasons with the club. It’s easy to forget that Chara also played for the Islanders, Senators, and Capitals during his 24-year NHL career. During his time in Boston, Chara skated in 1,023 games, recorded 481 points, and won the Stanley Cup in 2011.
READ MORE: Zdeno Chara once dropped the gloves against a Bruins teammate
Zdeno Chara jersey retirement
Last night, ahead of the Bruins’ game against the Seattle Kraken—a game Boston won 4–2—Chara watched as his jersey was officially raised to the rafters. Number 33 became the eighth number retired by the Original Six franchise, joining Ray Bourque, Terry O’Reilly, Willie O’Ree, Rick Middleton, Johnny Bucyk, Cam Neely, and Bobby Orr.
Brad Marchand’s heartfelt tribute
The ceremony featured several touching moments and tributes from across the hockey world, including messages from former teammates Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Marchand summed up Zdeno Chara perfectly with a single sentence.
“He was going to make it miserable playing against you. On his side of the ice, he was going to make you pay and make you hurt,” Marchand said in the tribute video.
You can watch the tribute below.
READ MORE: Zdeno Chara has an amazing reaction to having his jersey retired
