Jágr, nearly 51, passes Gretzky with 1,099th career goal
Jaromír Jágr celebrated his 51st birthday about a week early by scoring his 1,099th goal to overtake Wayne Gretzky at the top of the chart in combined professional games and at international tournaments.
Jágr, who will turn 51 on Feb. 15, scored for the Kladno Knights on Sunday in 5-4 loss at Trinec in the Czech league. With three goals and eight assists, Jágr has 11 points in 19 games this season for Kladno, the team with which he debuted as a teenager and which he now owns.
The winger, who was the NHL’s second-highest point scorer in 2018 when he was released by the Calgary Flames, got his 1,099th career goal.
Jágr completed his career in North America with 844 regular season and playoff goals. He added 93 goals in the Russian league/ Kontinental Hockey League, 107 in the Czechoslovak and Czech leagues and 55 at international competitions, including the Olympics, World Cups, world championships and Euro Hockey Tours.
Gretzky, the record scorer in the NHL with 894 goals, had 1,072 regular-season and playoffs goals in the NHL and WHA, and 26 at international adult tournaments. They include 17 at the Canada Cup, three at the World Cup and six at world championships, according to Hockey Canada.
NHL: In Monday’s highlights, Matthew Tkachuk, two days after being named MVP of the NHL All-Star Game on home ice, had a five-point night with two goals as the host Florida Panthers routed the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-1 . ... Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal scored for the New York Islanders in their first game since they acquired All-Star center Bo Horvat from Vancouver, leading them to a 2-1 win at Philadelphia. Horvat signed an eight-year $68 million deal Sunday . ... Jesper Bratt scored on a power play with 43 seconds left in overtime and the host New Jersey Devils beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 after squandering a three-goal lead . ... Alexis Lafreniere picked up a loose puck in front of the net and scored at 3:23 of overtime and the host New York Rangers beat the Calgary Flames 5-4.
Nationals, Robles avoid arbitration
The Washington Nationals avoided arbitration with outfielder Victor Robles, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $2,325,000 as part of a deal that includes a club option for 2024.
Robles, 25, is a strong defensive center fielder who hit .224 with six home runs, 33 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 128 games last season. He is the only position player left from the starting lineup during the team’s 2019 World Series championship run.
Jon Berti reached a deal with the Miami Marlins for $2,125,000. The infielder/outfielder gets a $2.1 million salary this year with a $3.5 million team option for 2024. Berti hit .240 with four homers, 28 RBIs and a majors-leading 41 stolen bases.
Skiing: American Mikaela Shiffrin could not finish her opening race at the world championships in Meribel, France, after straddling the third-to-last gate in the slalom portion of the combined race.