Bruins retire Zdeno Chara’s No. 33

The Boston Bruins honored their former captain Zdeno Chara Thursday night, retiring his number and raising his No. 33 to the rafters of TD Garden.

The Bruins held a ceremony for Chara ahead of their game against the Seattle Kraken, with Hockey Hall of Famers Bobby Orr, Cam Neely, John Bucyk and Willie O’Ree in attendance. Fans gave the 6-foot-9 defender several standing ovations through the ceremony,

In 14 seasons with the Bruins, Chara had 148 goals and 333 assists for 481 points and 1,055 penalty minutes in 1,023 regular-season games between 2006 and 2020. He also played in 150 playoff games with Boston, where he posted 15 goals and 41 assists for 56 points.

Chara led the Bruins to three Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2011, 2013 and 2019, helping them win a league championship in a seven-game series against the Vancouver Canucks in 2011.

Chara signed with the Bruins ahead of the 2006-07 season, inking a five-year, $37.5-million contract. He was immediately named captain and led Boston to the playoffs in all but three of his 14 seasons with the club.

Throughout his 24-year NHL career, Chara, a Slovak native, recorded 209 goals and 471 assists for 680 points and 2,085. He ranks seventh on the NHL’s all-time games played list, and he ranks 36th in points among NHL defenders.

He won the Norris Trophy in 2008-09 and was a finalist five times in his career.

Chara was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last November, along with Joe Thornton, Duncan Keith, Jennifer Botterill and Brianna Decker.

“Growing up in small town in Slovakia … you don’t dream about nights like this,” Chara said at his Hall of Fame ceremony. “You dream about a patch of ice that doesn’t melt before we finish practice. You dream about finding a stick that’s not broken or skates that can still fit for a couple of years.”