Retired Boston Bruins defenseman and former captain Zdeno Chara, who recently returned to the franchise as a member of the staff, will have his number retired by the team in a few months.Chara’s No. 33 will be raised to the TD Garden rafters prior to the Bruins’ home game against the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 15. He will become the first European player to have his number retired by the Bruins.”This honor is greater than anything I could have imagined when I first came to Boston,” Chara said in a statement provided by the team. “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, recently signed on to serve as the team’s hockey operations adviser and mentor, according to WMTW sister station WCVB.The Slovakia native was drafted by the New York Islanders. He spent four years with the Islanders and four years with the Ottawa Senators before signing with the Bruins on July 1, 2006.Chara served as the Bruins’ team captain for his entire 14-year stint with the team, playing in 1,023 games and totaling 148 goals, 333 assists and 481 points. He won the Norris Trophy and helped bring a Stanley Cup to Boston in 2011, the team’s first in nearly 40 years.After his time with Boston, he spent one season with the Washington Capitals and one with the Islanders before signing a one-day contract to retire from the NHL as a Bruin. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.”The rafters are a fitting home for 33, because there will never be another Zdeno Chara,” said Bruins owner and governor Jeremy Jacobs. “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.””There is no greater embodiment of what it means to be a Boston Bruin than Zdeno Chara,” said Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs. “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.”After his retirement, Chara remained active. In 2024, he ran the Boston Marathon in 3:30:52 and then completed the London Marathon, less than a week later, in 3:11:04.The last number retired by the Bruins was Willie O’Ree’s No. 22 in 2022.

BOSTON —

Retired Boston Bruins defenseman and former captain Zdeno Chara, who recently returned to the franchise as a member of the staff, will have his number retired by the team in a few months.

Chara’s No. 33 will be raised to the TD Garden rafters prior to the Bruins’ home game against the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 15. He will become the first European player to have his number retired by the Bruins.

“This honor is greater than anything I could have imagined when I first came to Boston,” Chara said in a statement provided by the team. “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, recently signed on to serve as the team’s hockey operations adviser and mentor, according to WMTW sister station WCVB.

The Slovakia native was drafted by the New York Islanders. He spent four years with the Islanders and four years with the Ottawa Senators before signing with the Bruins on July 1, 2006.

Chara served as the Bruins’ team captain for his entire 14-year stint with the team, playing in 1,023 games and totaling 148 goals, 333 assists and 481 points. He won the Norris Trophy and helped bring a Stanley Cup to Boston in 2011, the team’s first in nearly 40 years.

After his time with Boston, he spent one season with the Washington Capitals and one with the Islanders before signing a one-day contract to retire from the NHL as a Bruin. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.

“The rafters are a fitting home for 33, because there will never be another Zdeno Chara,” said Bruins owner and governor Jeremy Jacobs. “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.”

“There is no greater embodiment of what it means to be a Boston Bruin than Zdeno Chara,” said Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs. “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.”

After his retirement, Chara remained active. In 2024, he ran the Boston Marathon in 3:30:52 and then completed the London Marathon, less than a week later, in 3:11:04.

The last number retired by the Bruins was Willie O’Ree’s No. 22 in 2022.