BOSTON –– A bellowing “Thank you, Chara” chant echoed through TD Garden on Thursday night. ​The former captain had just addressed the crowd ahead of his No. 33 getting raised to the rafters. He spoke of signing in Boston in 2006, hoisting a Stanley Cup in 2011 and the city becoming home to him and his family.

Zdeno Chara was drafted in 1996, beginning his journey in the NHL with the New York Islanders. However, it was his trade to the Ottawa Senators in 2001 that marked the turning point in his career. Chara quickly established himself as a formidable defenseman,