Future Hockey Corridor of Famer Jaromir Jagr simply started his thirty sixth skilled season taking part in for his hometown workforce, the Kladno Knights, within the Czech hockey league, persevering with some of the productive hockey careers of all time.
In his debut sport earlier this week, Jager confirmed that even at 51 he can nonetheless play the sport at a fairly excessive degree, recording a main help on a aim that seemed like a classic Jagr play.
He may not have the pace or sturdiness that he as soon as had, however he clearly nonetheless has the imaginative and prescient and arms with passing performs like that.
The Czech league is a major step under the NHL and Russia’s KHL when it comes to competitors, however it’s nonetheless one of many high hockey leagues on the planet. With the ability to play at a excessive degree on that stage at 51 is an absolute marvel.
He appeared in 26 video games a yr in the past on the age of fifty and scored 5 targets with 9 assists.
There are some things to think about about Jagr’s seemingly endless taking part in profession.
The primary is that as a result of he’s nonetheless taking part in professionally, his induction to the Corridor of Fame continues to get pushed again. Regardless that Jagr has not performed in an NHL sport because the 2017-18 season, he has continued taking part in within the Czech Republic within the six seasons which have adopted. The Hockey Corridor of Fame may be very clear that to be eligible for induction, a participant can’t have performed in any skilled or worldwide sport within the three years prior to his enshrinement. The Corridor has made exceptions in extraordinarily uncommon instances (Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux come to thoughts) however has proven no willingness to try this right here.
It is usually value stating that there are solely 19 gamers within the NHL this season older than 36. Which means Jagr has been taking part in skilled hockey longer than all however 19 lively NHL gamers have really been alive.
Jagr has had one of many best and most efficient careers of any participant within the sport. He’s the NHL’s second-leading scorer with 1,921 factors. His 766 profession targets are additionally fourth all time. A 3-year stint within the KHL and a number of NHL lockouts price him 5 years of video games throughout his prime years. With out these breaks it’s potential — if not going — that he would have topped Gretzky’s all-time targets report.
Between the NHL, KHL and Czech league, Jagr has scored 953 skilled regular-season targets and notched numerous accolades — accolades he continues to pile up into his 50s.
