Once upon a time Jaromir Jagr was the skinny kid from the Czech Republic that was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 1990 National Hockey League Draft. Jagr was the young right winger that played alongside Hall of Fame center Mario Lemieux in helping the Penguins win consecutive Stanley Cup Championships in 1991 and 1992. Jagr and his mullet would fly around the ice in Pittsburgh while developing a reputation as one of the best players in the NHL. The mullet may have been deemed as business in the front and party in the back, but Jagr has been all business when he takes the ice. After spending the first 11 seasons of his NHL career in Pittsburgh, Jagr was traded to the Washington Capitals where he spent two and a half seasons before being shipped to the New York Rangers. Once Jagr’s contract expired with the Rangers in 2008, the right winger decided to leave the NHL in favor of Kontinental Hockey League in Russia. Jagr would return to the United States in 2011 and since then he has become a journeyman in the NHL as he has spent time with the Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, and Boston Bruins, before suiting up with the New Jersey Devils this season where he is writing a new chapter in his professional hockey career.
Last summer Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello signed Jagr to a one-year deal worth $12 million and the 42-year old has exceeded expectations.
This season Jagr has appeared in every game for the Devils and he is leading the team in points (59), and assists (37). The Devils currently find themselves just five points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and Jagr has this team thinking about the playoffs which is a far cry from a team that started the season 0-7. The Devils have a tremendous upside with having Jagr on their team being team being that every NHL team that he has played for (with the exception of the Stars whom he didn’t finish the season with) has made the playoffs with him on the roster. New Jersey is looking to get back to the postseason with their veteran team after missing the playoffs last season.
Jagr’s remarkable season has now placed him in 20th place on the NHL’s all-time list for games played (1,460), 7th in goals (703), 9th in assists (1,044), and 7th in points (1,747). Jagr is merely showing everyone that age is nothing but a number.
Source: Hockey-reference.com
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