"With grace and humility and a wide grin he rarely flashed when he was leading the Boston Bruins back to prominence, Zdeno Chara took his rightful place among Black and Gold immortals on Thursday night when his No. 33 was raised to the TD Garden rafters. Surrounded by Bruins royalty - including fellow number retirees Bobby Orr, Johnny Bucyk, Terry O'Reilly, Rick Middleton, Cam Neely and Willie O'Ree - Chara remained more or less stoic. But he admitted later the emotions were tugging hard at him."
"When he stepped to the podium, he was greet by a single leather lung in the balcony, who screamed "We love you, Z!" At the end of his speech, the entire crowd gave a hearty chant of "Thank You, Chara!" "I almost cried there. I was very close," said Chara afterward. True to his inclusive nature as a captain, Chara did his best not to leave anyone or anything out. Of course, he touched on the 2011 Stanley Cup championship, without which he estimated this night would not have happened. Championships are how athletes are measured, he said."
Zdeno Chara's No. 33 was raised to the TD Garden rafters in a ceremony that honored his long tenure and leadership with the Boston Bruins. The event included retired Bruins greats and many members of the 2011 Stanley Cup team. Chara kept a calm exterior but acknowledged strong emotions, referencing the 2011 championship, the Boston Marathon bombing aftermath and the Garden crowd's support after his 2019 jaw injury. He personally named teammates, involved his wife Tatiana and their children Elliz, Ben and Zack in raising the banner, and called the family moment his biggest award.
Read at Boston Herald
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