ʃˈɔːɹtli ðɛɹˈæftɚ hiː sˈaɪnd zˈiːdᵻnˈoʊ tʃˈɑːɹɹə ɪn fɹˈiː ˈeɪdʒənsi, hˌuː wʊd ɹᵻmˈeɪn fɔːɹ fˈoːɹtiːn jˈɪɹz, ˈɔːl ʌv ðæt tˈaɪm æz kˈæptɪn, wˈɪnɪŋ ðə dʒˈeɪmz nˈɔɹɪs məmˈoːɹɪəl tɹˈoʊfi æz ðə lˈiːɡz bˈɛst dᵻfˈɛnsɛmən ɐlˈɔŋ ðə wˈeɪ.
Shortly thereafter he signed Zdeno Chára in free agency, who would remain for fourteen years, all of that time as captain, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's best defenceman along the way.