The man, the mullet, the legend, and an ageless wonder. Jaromir Jagr has had a long and highly decorated professional hockey career. Before it all started for Jaromir, he lived on a farm with his parents and his sister until he was 18.
The Life Before Jagr’s Highly Decorated NHL Career:
Jaromir Jagr is a living hockey legend, Jagr was born in Kladno, Czechia, on February 15th, 1972. Jagr started playing hockey at a young age, and this would be the start of a lifelong journey in the sport of hockey. Jagr would join the HC Kladno youth team as he took the steps toward a professional hockey career.
In the 1984-85 season, Jagr joined Rytiri Kladno U18 in the league that was known as Czechoslovakia at the time. Jagr soon showed that he was going to be something incredible; playing with 17 and 18-year-olds as a 13-year-old, Jagr posted 24 goals and 17 assists for 41 points in 34 games. The following year? Jagr posted 41 goals and 29 assists for 70 points in 36 games.
After two dominant seasons with Rytiri Kladno’s U18 team, Jagr would find himself on Rytiri Kladno’s U20 team as a 15-year-old, where he would continue his dominant showing. Jagr posted 154 points with Rytiri Kladno’s U20 squad in 65 games, earning him a well-deserved promotion to TJ Kladno’s men’s roster. Jagr would find his footing with TJ Kladno in his second campaign with the team during the 1989-90 season.
Jaromir Jagr would go into the 1990 NHL Entry Draft with an impressive resume. See the photo below for Jagr’s awards heading into his draft year.
Should He Stay, or Should He Go?
The year is 1990, the Pittsburgh Penguins own the fifth overall pick in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, and they would go on to select Jaromir Jagr. Jagr wasn’t sure at the time of draft day if he would go and play in the NHL. Through some convincing, Jagr made the decision to start a professional hockey journey in the National Hockey League.
Former assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Rick Kehoe, had this to say about Jagr in an interview with Sportsnet.
“Jagr was the first-ever Czech-born player who didn’t have to defect to play in the NHL. He didn’t know a single word of English, so the team set him up at a school in Pittsburgh to learn the language before the 1990-91 season started.”
Rick Kehoe – Former Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant Coach
Jaromir Jagr was asked about the 1990 draft day and the English school that the Penguins sent him to.
“After the draft, I went home for three weeks to pack some stuff, then they (Pittsburgh management) wanted me to come back and go to school. That was the toughest thing I’d ever done.”
Jaromir Jagr – Former Pittsburgh Penguins forwad
Imagine a league where Jaromir Jagr never came to the NHL. I know I can’t imagine that. Jagr is second in the league for all-time points and fourth in all-time goals.
Uncertainty Sometimes Makes The Best Decisions:
(Via NHL.com)
In Jaromir Jagr’s first two seasons as an NHL player, the Pittsburgh Penguins, led by “Super Mario” Mario Lemieux, Mark Recchi, Paul Coffey, and other big-name payers, would go on and win back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships. A feat that has only been repeated three times since the Penguins did it in the 1990s, and the Penguins are also one of the three teams to do it since their 1990s championship days.
While the Pittsburgh Penguins wouldn’t win another Stanley Cup until the late 2000s, Jagr would still prove that he was everything he was touted to be and more.
Jagr practiced hard, according to former Penguins assistant coach Rick Kehoe, and Jagr was eager to be the absolute best that he could be, and he had an incredible mentor in Mario Lemieux. Jaromir Jagr would be with the Pittsburgh Penguins until being traded to the Washington Capitals on July 11th, 2001.
Jagr would continue playing in the NHL with the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers before choosing to play with Avangard Omsk of the KHL to be closer to family.
Jagr Returns to the NHL:
In what is considered the last leg of Jaromir Jagr’s NHL career, Jaromir Jagr would sign with the Philadelphia Flyers on July 1st, 2011. The 39-year-old forward proved that he still had a lot left in the tank, posting 19 goals and 35 assists for 54 points in 73 games with the Flyers.
After Jagr’s short run in Philadelphia, the Dallas Stars would sign Jagr to a contract for the 2012-23 season, though the NHL have a worker dispute, and the 2012-13 season would partially be lost due to a lockout. Jagr would play 34 games with the Dallas Stars after the NHL resolved the dispute and was able to have a 48-game season. Jagr would then be traded to the Boston Bruins for their 2013 Stanley Cup Playoff run, a run that would end in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals. This playoff run would be the third and last time Jagr has played in the Stanley Cup Finals and his second last NHL playoffs appearance.
Jagr’s Final NHL Years:
On July 23rd, 2013, Jaromir Jagr would sign with the New Jersey Devils, where he showed at 41 years old, he still could put up numbers that most NHL players dream of putting up. Jagr played all 82 games in the 2013-14 season, where he posted 24 goals, and 23 assists for 67 points. Jagr earned himself a contract extension on April 30th, 2014, for the great effort he put up with the Devils.
Jaromir Jagr would be traded to the Florida Panthers during the 2014-15 season and later received a contract extension with the Florida Panthers. Jagr’s run in Florida saw him receive a second contract extension for the 2016-17 season, which would be his last season with the Florida Panthers. Jaromir Jagr posted 66 points in the 2015-16 season and 46 points in the 2016-17 season.
At 46 years old, Jaromir Jagr would play his last season in the NHL with the Calgary Flames. Jagr would post one goal and six assists for seven points in 22 games. Jagr was then loaned to Rytiri Kladno, the team he owns, for the remainder of the 2017-18 season, where he still plays hockey to this day.
Bringing Jaromir Jagr back to the NHL is a dream for many Pittsburgh Penguins fans and even hockey fans in general. The 51-year-old currently plays for his hometown team, Rytiri Kladno, a team that he also owns.
We know a Jaromir Jagr jersey retirement ceremony is going to happen soon, but does he have one more NHL season left in the tank? Probably not, as Rytiri Kladno’s existence depends on Jaromir Jagr. Who am I to judge, if you love the sport that much, why not play it until you can’t anymore? Jaromir Jagr is certainly doing just that.
Jaromir Jagr Jokes About One Final NHL Season:
Jaromir Jagr joked last offseason, July 13th, 2022 specifically, the tweet put out by Jagr is quoted and linked.
NHL GMs- I am also free agent, once again. 6,3 265 … 50 years old, slow, but strong and good hands. Can bring experience and like to play only home games. Call me anytime. 😉 Also as the owner of hockey club In czech liga -I am looking to sign a Defenseman. No jokes
Jaromir Jagr (@68Jagr) – July 13th, 2022.
Jaromir Jagr’s Legacy:
Jaromir Jagr’s 766 goals and 1,155 assists for 1,921 points in 1733 games across 24 seasons are legendary statistics. Jagr could have had a far higher point total if it weren’t for two lockouts and Jagr leaving to play in the KHL for three years.
Jagr is also highly decorated with a ton of achievements and awards over his long and illustrious career. Jagr has done so much that he’s part of the triple gold club. I have listed Jagr’s achievements and awards below.
- 2-time World Championship Gold Medal
- 1-time Olympic Gold Medal
- 1-time U18 European Junior Championship Silver Medal
- Triple Gold Club
- 2-time World Championship Bronze Medal
- 1-time Olympic Bronze Medal
- 1-time Czech Extraliga Most Valuable Player
- 1-time NHL All-Rookie Team
- 7-time NHL First All-Star Team
- 5-time NHL Most Points (Art Ross Trophy)
- 1-time NHL Most Valuable Player (Hart Trophy)
- 3-time NHL Most Valuable Player Selected by NHLPA (Ted Lindsay Award)
- 1-time NHL Second All-Star Team
- 1-time NHL Sportsmanship Award (Bill Masterton Trophy)
- 2-time NHL Stanley Cup Champion
- 1-time U20 World Junior Championship All-Star Team
- 4-time World Championship All-Star Team
- 1-time World Championship Best Forward
- 1-time World Championship Most Valuable Player
Regardless of what Jagr chooses to do with his 35-year-long career, you can’t leave out the name Jaromir Jagr when talking about the greatest players of all time.
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