Jagr thankful to survive crash with tram
Jaromir Jagr — hockey’s modern ageless wonder — thought it was all over for him.
Not just hockey, everything. Jagr was involved in a collision when his car was hit by a tram in his native Czech Republic. Thankfully, the 50-year-old forward and owner of the top Czech league’s Kladno Knights lived to tell the tale and shared it Wednesday on Instagram.
“Dear fans, but everyone else,” reads his post, as translated by Google. “I would just like to tell you briefly what happened today when I was involved in the accident. It was my fault.
“On Plzen ská, I tried to cross from one direction to another. I checked the other side and drove into it at the right time. But there was a lot of traffic and I didn’t have time to react to the tram, which was going at high speed in the same direction as me.
“I noticed her half a metre in front of me, at the last minute. I thought it was my end. I have always believed that force majeure has a hand over me, and today I have seen it again. Thank God! And it also surprised me and actually saved my KIA, from which, despite what it looked like, I climbed out without injury.
“But most importantly, nothing happened to the passengers on the tram. I would like to end this sad event. And I thank everyone for their understanding and also for their help to those who intervened on the spot.”
Jagr is second to Wayne Gretzky in goals scored (766) and points (1,921) all-time in the NHL. He’d be in the Hall of Fame if he would only retire. The hall only puts in retired players, but Jagr has continued to play in Europe after his 22-season NHL career ended in 2017-18.
On his Facebook page, Jagr announced Wednesday he is leaning toward playing next season for Kladno in the Extraliga, the top professional league in the Czech Republic.
“I know some of you will not believe it, but I am really looking out at the next season,” Jagr wrote. “Are you looking forward to it, Kladno fans?”
It would be his 35th season of professional hockey. He wants to keep playing because of teammate and ex-Maple Leaf Tomas Plekanec.
“Pleky has a dream to play in the playoffs with Kladno,” he wrote. “Are we going to try to make it happen for him together?”