Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Jagr turns 45
Panther joins a select few athletes in defying time.
He’s often referred to as the ageless wonder, and the label sure seems to fit as Panthers top-line right wing Jaromir Jagr turns 45 years old today.
While no one can defeat Father Time, Jagr has certainly fended him off like he does most opposing defenders who dare try to take the puck from him.
Last season, Jagr became the oldest player in NHL history to score 50 points, the oldest to score 25 goals (27) and oldest to lead his team in scoring, with 66 points.
His production has slightly dropped this season, mostly because his linemates, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov — who together are a year younger than Jagr — have missed a bunch of games while he has played in all 54.
Still, the legendary Czech’s 31 points are third-most on the Panthers, and he’s second in assists with 21. In a 7-4 victory Saturday over the Nashville Predators, Jagr notched his 10th goal of the season.
His maniacal fitness regimen has been detailed ad nauseum, but it’s clearly Jagr’s undying love for hockey that keeps him going.
Jagr was asked recently if athletes such as 39-year-old New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, fresh off his fifth Super Bowl title, or tennis greats Roger Federer and Serena Williams, recent winners of Australian Open titles at 35 and 36, respectively, have inspired him.
“They should be inspired by me; I’m 45,” Jagr joked. “When they’re talented and skilled, if players in any sport decide that they can work as hard as anybody else then they can play forever. They’ll always have the edge . ... You can’t take a day off. Once you do you lose it very
quickly.”
When asked for the umpteenth time what he will do after he retires, Jagr scratched his graying stubble and said, “I don’t think about it because when you start thinking about what’s going to happen after hockey, I think that’s the first step to retiring.”
Here’s a look at other professional athletes who have excelled well into their 40s:
HOCKEY
Jagr is still chasing
Gordie Howe, the poster child for professional athletes belying their birth dates. Mr. Hockey scored 44 goals for the Red Wings in 1968-69 at 40, followed by seasons of 31 and 23 goals before he took his talents to the short-lived World Hockey Association so he could play with his sons Mark and Marty. He returned to the NHL for his final season at 51 and scored 15 goals and had 41 points for the Hartford Whalers.
Mark Messier scored 18 goals at 43. Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios had 39 points and a leagueleading plus-40 ice rating at 40 in 2002. Ducks icon
Teemu Selanne notched 26 goals and 66 points at 41 in 2012.
There were many goalies who still sparkled into their 40s, with all-time winningest netminder Martin
Brodeur posting 19 wins and a 2.51 goals-against average at 43 for the Devils in 2014. In his final season in 2008, also at 43, Dominek
Hasek was 27-10-3 with a 2.14 GAA for Detroit and shared the Jennings Award for fewest goals allowed.
BASEBALL Warren Spahn
At 43, went 23-7 with a 3.02 ERA in 1963 for the Milwaukee Braves, and earned N.L. Pitcher of the Year.
Nolan Ryan was still chugging at 43 and 44 when he threw the last two of his major-league record seven no-hitters. From ages 40-43, Ryan led his league in strikeouts.
Before gambling on baseball besmirched his amazing career, Pete Rose, the all-time hits king, was 40 when he batted .325 in 140 games in 1981 for the Phillies to earn another All-Star bid. In 1960 at 41, Ted
Williams capped off his legendary career with 29 homers, 72 RBIs and a .316 average. He rocked a homer in his final at-bat. In 1974 at 40, Hank
Aaron hammered out 20 homers, including his record-breaking 715th that passed Babe Ruth as the leading home-run hitter of all-time.
NFL
Hall of Fame quarterback
Brett Favre, known for his iron-man streak, unretired for the second time at 40 to lead the Vikings to the 2009 NFC Championship game while earning his 11th Pro Bowl selection. He threw 33 touchdowns with just seven picks that season. Hall of Fame receiver
Jerry Rice turned 40 in 2002 and caught 92 passes for 1,211 yards for the Raiders, his best numbers since 1996. In 1970 at 43, George
Blanda either kicked the winning field goal or threw the game-winning touchdown to lead the Raiders to five consecutive victories. At 47, he led the NFL with 44 extra-point kicks.
NBA
Arguably the greatest NBA player of all time,
Michael Jordan averaged 20 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Wizards in 2003, his final season, at 40. He’s the only player to score 40-plus (43) points at 40 or older.
TENNIS
Tennis takes too much speed and endurance to fare well in singles past 40. Ditto for soccer. However, Hall of Fame player Martina Navratilova won the mixeddoubles crown at the 2006 U.S. Open at 49, 32 years after her first Grand Slam title in 1974.
BOXING
George Foreman won his second heavyweight title (WBA, IBF) at 45 by knocking out 27-year-old Michael Moorer.
Bernard Hopkins later surpassed Foreman, albeit in the light heavyweight class, by earning a split-decision over Beibut Shumenov in 2014 at 49 to retain his IBF title and win the WBF title.
GOLF
While golfers don’t need to possess the athleticism of players in the four major sports, no one can take away
Jack Nicklaus’ amazing achievement of winning the 1986 Masters at age 46 to cap off his all-time major record at 18.
Phil Mickelson won his fifth major in 2013, when at 43 he captured the British Open.