Jagr love rising high (to rafters)
Tribute to former Penguins star puts scorn to bed at last
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Jaromir Jagr received a thunderous ovation early in the Penguins’ 4-0 victory against his Florida Panthers Sunday at PPG Paints Arena, the biggest he has experienced here in years.
The franchise icon was significantly moved by the experience and appreciated the support he received after a video commemorating his inclusion on the NHL 100 list.
It hasn’t always been like that for Jagr, whose relationship with the fan base — and many suspect the organization — was strained significantly after he left via trade in 2001.
“It’s not easy when you love something and the other part hates you,” Jagr said of how he has been. “It’s like somebody has a wife. You love your wife, and she hates you.”
Jagr doesn’t feel that Pittsburgh hated him, per se, but he keenly was aware of the boos he would receive while playing against the Penguins.
They’ve dissipated over the years. Jagr’s happy that’s the case.
“Time heals everything,” Jagr said. “If not, that’s OK. But time is always the best healer.”
After the video — set to AC/DC’s “For Those About to Rock We Salute You” — finished, Jagr tapped his heart with his glove and saluted the crowd in return.
“The truth always comes up,” Jagr said. “It’s just a matter of time. Sometimes you just have to suffer for a long time.”
Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux said at the NHL All-Star weekend that he envisioned a scenario where Jagr’s No. 68 eventually would hang from the rafters at PPG Paints Arena.
Asked for his reaction to those comments, Jagr paused for more than 40 seconds, searching for the appropriate words.
“What happened was a long time ago,” Jagr started. “It was one-sided. I never really felt anything bad about the organization or the fans, even though they were booing me all the time, every time I touched the puck.
“I think there was a lot of mis-leads when I left. Nobody knew what really happened. You have to understand, the media is a very powerful thing. It’s not about me. Social media is so big. People reading it started believing it.”
As he did in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in October 2016, Jagr conveyed a ton of gratitude to the organization that drafted him, for the chance they gave to how the Penguins shaped his game.
That remains to this day, as relations between the Penguins, their fan base and one of the city’s most iconic athletes have seemingly warmed.
“There became such a huge hole between me and the organization,” Jagr said. “I felt bad for the organization. They did everything they could. They gave me a chance to play hockey in the NHL. They made me the player I am.
“It doesn’t matter how [the Penguins or their fans] felt about me. I never felt bad about them.”