Bruins make major announcement regarding Zdeno Chara on Monday.

The Boston Bruins have made a surprise announcement, one that I believe will get most of their passionate fan base extremely excited.

On Monday morning, the Bruins officially announced that that Zdeno Chara would be making his return to Boston on January 16th of next year for a very special night. On that night the Bruins will raise Chara's iconic #33 to the rafters, making it the 13th number in their franchise's history to be retired.

This is of course a huge honor and one that Chara has more than earned after 14 incredible seasons as a member of the Bruins, 14 seasons that include a Stanley Cup championship in 2011.

Chara, affectionately known as "Big Z" by fans and teammates alike, has already been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and this seems like the next logical step in acknowledging the incredible career he had as the Bruins top defenseman for over a decade.

During all of his 14 seasons Chara served as captain of the Boston Bruins, leading by example both on and off the ice. He dominated opponents with his opposing size, incredible strength, and of course his giant stick that required a special exemption for the massive defenseman who measured 6 feet 9 inches tall.

Chara also currently leads the National Hockey League in most career games played by a defenseman, appearing in a staggering 1680 NHL games across his NHL career which featured time with the Bruins, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals.

Chara wrapped up his career with 209 goals and 471 assists for a total of 680 points, but it was his physical presence on the ice that truly made him stand out among his peers.