Bruins To Honor Zdeno Chara By Retiring Former Captain’s Number

The Boston Bruins are set to retire Zdeno Chara’s jersey on January 15, the team announced.

The Bruins announced on Monday that the team will be retiring Chara’s number 33 when Boston hosts the Seattle Kraken. Chara’s 33 will be the 13th number retired by the Bruins organization.

“The Rafters are a fitting home for 33, because there will never be another Zdeno Chara,” Bruins Owner and Governor, Jeremy M. Jacobs said in a statement in a press release on Monday. “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.”

Chara, meanwhile, said he’s honored to have his jersey retired by the Bruins.

“It is truly beyond words to see my jersey, number 33, raised to the rafters at TD Garden,” said Zdeno Chara. “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,” Chara added. “This moment is not just mine – it belongs to all of us.”

Chara will be the first European player to have his number retired by the Bruins, and the 13th overall.

The Bruins signed Chara as a free agent in 2006 and named him the team’s captain. He played for Boston from 2006 until 2020, helping the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Chara finished his NHL career skating in 1,680 games and is a six-time NHL All-Star. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025.