After 25 seasons of professional hockey 1,680 NHL regular season games, 200 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and hundreds of international games I am proud to announce my decision to retire from the National Hockey League.
In doing so, I am honored to return to TD Garden today to sign a one-day contract with the Boston Bruins and officially finish my career with the team that has meant so much to me and my family. There are so many people that have helped contribute to my success, including all of you, and I look forward to properly thanking everyone this afternoon.
Get his number up in the rafters. The 2007 - 2022 Bruins may have won "only" one title, but this has been one of the great eras for sustained hockey excellence in Boston*. Chara, Bergeron, Krejci, Lucic, Marchand, Thomas, Pastrnak, Savard when he was healthy, and everybody's favorite whipping boy, Tuuka. They have all contributed to a lot of enjoyment over the years. And, in my eyes, all of it started with the Bruins spending big to bring in Chara, who in a lot of ways helped define the team.
*At the same time, I'm allowed to still be irritated by the Seguin and Hamilton trades, and the disaster in the 2015 draft.