Pulling for Jagr
There still should be a place for Jaromir Jagr in the NHL; Kevin Allen column
With all the Jaromir Jagr highlight goals that I’ve witnessed live, it’s telling that my favorite Jagr memory involves dressing room tomfoolery.
I was in Pittsburgh years ago to talk to Jagr, and before he would start the interview he insisted I take a stab at solving a puzzle box mystery that he had been unable to master. When I failed miserably, he walked to the center of the room and offered $100 to any player or media member who could unlock the secret of the box.
No one completed the Jagr Challenge, but those moments helped me unlock the secret of Jagr.
As we mature, most of us lose our wild-eyed wonder, our unbridled passion and fascination, for the trappings of life. Jagr has never lost his. He’s always looking to solve the next puzzle box, always excited by the next new challenge. That’s why he was playing in the NHL last season at age 45. That’s why he has played professionally since 1988, while logging 1,919 NHL games during a career that begin in 1990.
That’s also why I hope we haven’t seen the last of Jagr in an NHL uniform.
Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League wants the Czech native, but he wants to return to the NHL. He just doesn’t want to have to go through a tryout to get it done.
Each time a player or coach talks about how fast the NHL has become it reaffirms why Jagr isn’t in a training camp. It’s a speed game, and that’s not Jagr’s game. In 2016, when the All-Star Game was in Nashville, Jagr joked that fans shouldn’t vote for him because the thought 3-on-3 for an entire game might kill him.
But it’s not as if Jagr can’t play anymore. Somehow he found a way to stay productive even though he can’t match the jet propulsion shown by today’s stars.
Puck-protection skills. Creativity. Experience. Jagr uses all of his tricks to stay relevant.
He posted 16 goals and 46 points for the Florida Panthers last season, good enough for 119th in the league scoring race. That means Jagr had more points than more than 600 other NHL players.
In a league always searching for added offense, it would seem like there still should be room for the entertaining Jagr. At the very least, he could add a spark to a power play or offer secondary scoring. He’s not the superstar he once was, but his personality would be a gift for any fan base and dressing room. Not a day goes by without Jagr saying or doing something that makes you grin.
His work habits would also set an example for younger players to follow. Tales of Jagr working out in the middle of the night are legendary.
NHL salary cap constraints and a younger league conspire against Jagr, but he hasn’t given up. That’s not who he is. He always seeks the greatest challenge. He is always pushing to explore beyond normal limitations. That’s another reason why a team should give him another season.