2025 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee<\/a>, Chara spent 14 of his 24 NHL seasons in Boston, leading the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup championship. His 1,680 games is the most of any NHL defenseman; at 6 feet, 9 inches (2.06m), he is the tallest player in league history, and his 108.8 mph (175.1 kmh) slap shot in the 2012 skills competition remains the NHL record.<\/p>\nBut his teammates and other Bruins attending Thursday’s ceremony said Chara’s biggest contribution was signing with a team that hadn’t won a playoff series in six years \u2014 \u201cthe best decision I ever made\u201d \u2014 and turning them into champions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings really changed when Zee came here as a free agent,\u201d Bourque said. “From that point on, the culture and everything that comes with that, and the success and the run that they had, he was such a big part of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a legend,\u201d Bourque said. \u201cHe really deserves to be up there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bourque was among the former Bruins greats in attendance, along with Orr \u2014 both of them, like Chara, Boston defensemen who finished their careers elsewhere on their way to the Hall of Fame. They arrived via gold carpet that led them past adoring fans and the statue of Orr flying through the air following his Cup-winning goal in the 1970 finals.<\/p>\n
Other fellow retired number honorees in attendance included Cam Neely, Willie O\u2019Ree, Rick Middleton, Terry O’Reilly and John Bucyk. The current Bruins sat on the bench, all wearing Chara jerseys.<\/p>\n
Five members of the 2011 roster \u2014 Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi, Dennis Seidenberg, David Krejci and Tuukka Rask \u2014 carried the retired number onto the ice, and teammate Andrew Ference served as emcee.<\/p>\n
In his speech, Chara read the names of every player on the Bruins last Cup winners. Asked why, he said after: \u201cWithout championships, you are not going to be successful, you\u2019re not going to be recognized.<\/p>\n
“The championships, that\u2019s what they do. They raise everyone, they extend careers for everyone,\u201d he explained. “They create dynasties. They create stories. They create memories. They created what we\u2019re experiencing tonight.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s very simple: Once you win the championship, everything gets so much better for everyone. And the most beautiful thing about it: You create extended families with each other. It\u2019s true. You have bonds, you have friendships that are now still forever. It\u2019s amazing; it\u2019s like you\u2019re seeing your brother. You trust the person; you know everything about them. And anytime anybody needs something, you\u2019re there for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what winning championships do,\u201d he said. \u201cNot just for a career, but for the rest of your lives, it means something very special.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ceremony at center ice featured a \u201cBig Zee\u201d ice sculpture flanking the podium and a large No. 33 behind it. Fans were asked to get in their seats two hours early, and the full TD Garden erupted in a giant shout of \u201cZee!\u201d followed by an extended cheer of \u201cThank you, Chara!\u201d<\/p>\n
A highlight video featured former Bruins Brad Marchand and current coach Marco Sturm, Chara’s teammate from 2006-10. Many of them spoke of the way Chara led by example.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wasn\u2019t really a \u2018Rah, rah!\u2019 guy,\u201d former Bruins forward and current team president Neely said, \u201cbut when he spoke, it was with a purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n
And so, when it was time to raise his No. 33 to the rafters, Chara stood by with his wife, Tatiana, while their children \u2014 Zack, Ben and Elliz \u2014 pulled the ropes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the biggest reward for me: To see my children and my family doing it instead of me. I think I get better joy watching them doing it than the joy of me doing it because it’s so much more meaningful,\u201d he explained. “They deserve that more than me.”<\/p>\n
AP NHL: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nhl<\/a><\/p>\n