Bruins to retire Zdeno Chara’s number during upcoming season

Tickets to the Boston Bruins game on Jan. 15, 2026 just became a special catch.

The Bruins announced Monday morning that they will retire former captain Zdeno Chara's jersey No. 33 before their game against the Seattle Kraken at TD Garden. The game is currently scheduled for 7 p.m. EST, but that is subject to change, with the ceremony possibly lasting past the current start time. Either way, fans attending the game will be encouraged to arrive early.

“It is truly beyond words to see my jersey, number 33, raised to the rafters at TD Garden,” said Chara, as part of a news release from the club. “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. This moment is not just mine – it belongs to all of us.”

Chara's No. 33 will nestle between Terry O'Reilly's No. 24 and Raymond Bourque's No. 77 in the TD Garden rafters. It'll be fitting for Chara to be alongside Bourque, as the last two defensemen to serve as team captain.

“From the moment he arrived in Boston in 2006, Zdeno Chara brought with him an unmatched presence, combining size, strength, and skill with a leadership style that elevated everyone around him,” Bruins president Cam Neely said. “Zdeno set the standard with his professionalism, his legendary work ethic and his fierce competitiveness, and he did it all while representing our organization with the utmost class.

"As someone who has experienced what it means to have your number hanging in the rafters, I can say without a doubt that Zdeno’s No. 33 belongs there. It will serve as a permanent reminder of his place as one of the greatest Bruins of all time.”

Chara, the 13th number to be retired by the Bruins, will make history as the first European-born player to receive the honor. He could one day be joined by Czech center David Krejci and Finnish goaltender Tuukka Rask in that department. No. 33 will be the first Bruins number retired since the team hoisted Willie O'Ree's No. 22 to the rafters in Jan. 2022.

As a longtime team captain, Stanley Cup champion, and Norris Trophy winner, Chara was a no-brainer to have his number retired. It was only a matter of when.