It’s been over six years since Jagr left the NHL to play for Rytiri Kladno in Czechia.
Back in 2017-18, he signed a one-year deal with Calgary but ended up playing the latter part of that season in his hometown club. Though his 24-year, 1,733-game NHL career ended then, he never stopped playing professionally.
Jagr has owned Kladno since 2011. He started his career there before being drafted by the Penguins in 1990. During NHL lockouts in ’94, ’04-’05, and ’12, he also played for Kladno. When he returned at age 45, Kladno was no longer in the top league but had dropped to a lower division. Yet with Jagr’s help—scoring ten goals in eleven games—they climbed back to the top-tier Extraliga for the 2019-20 season.
Jagr’s Current Performance:
Now playing his 37th professional season, Jagr isn’t as dominant on the ice anymore. Last year saw him limited to just fifteen regular-season games with four assists and a -4 rating. Despite tearing his hamstring recently , he managed an assist and a -1 rating during Kladno’s Extraliga opener this Wednesday after spending 14:26 on ice.
Fans might think it’s amazing how long he’s kept going!
His NHL achievements are legendary: five scoring titles (four consecutive from ‘98-‘01), three Pearson Awards (now Ted Lindsay Award) as most outstanding player chosen by peers (1999, 2000, and 2006). On all-time leaderboards: fourth in games played; fourth in goals (766); fifth in assists (1,155); second in points (1,921). Plus two Stanley Cups early with Pittsburgh and membership of Triple Gold Club—Olympic gold (‘98) and World Championship golds (‘05 & ‘10).
Though Jagr wore jerseys of nine different NHL teams—including Penguins where fans remember him best—it seems likely he’ll return there post-retirement next year. Rossi mentioned back in May about potential front-office role awaiting him when ready for new chapter.
What do you think about Jagr’s incredible journey?
