"Obviously it's a huge honor, incredible honor. I never imagined coming to Boston that one day I'd have my jersey retired and hanging in the rafters. It's such a privilege. Being part of the organization and the city and have the fans' support for all these years, I just like it's just an incredible feeling to have everybody be a part of that journey. It's something that will probably be sinking in for the next few days but I'm so grateful."
"When I became a captain, I knew the history of this team the many years before I arrived. You try to embrace it and also acknowledge that I'm not going to Bobby Orr, I'm not going to be Ray Bourque. But at the same time I knew that I want to be myself and lead my way and do it in maybe different ways than they did before, but still in the form of that identity and structure that this team had for a long time,"
Zdeno Chara was genuinely surprised when informed that his No. 33 would be retired and raised to the Bruins' rafters. He signed with Boston in 2006 and spent 14 years as a mountainous presence and team captain, wearing the 'C' upon arrival. He led a revival that returned the Bruins to elite status alongside players like Patrice Bergeron and coach Claude Julien. Chara acknowledged the franchise's history and said he wanted to lead in his own way rather than emulate Bobby Orr or Ray Bourque. The jersey will be raised before the Bruins–Seattle Kraken game on January 15, and he expressed deep gratitude for the fans and organization.
Read at Boston Herald
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