NHL legend, 50, suits up for Czech team after illness knocks out huge chunk of roster
Jaromir Jagr played 24 NHL seasons from 1990 to 2018, and the future Hockey Hall of Famer broke in a new pair of skates Sunday at the age of 50.
Jagr owns the Kladno Knights of the Czech Extraliga, and he decided to play for them over the weekend after a team-wide illness put them in danger of having a second straight game postponed.
The Knights had just 12 players entering Sunday, and the team would have been fined had a second game been postponed.
“My arrival was not planned in advance,” Jagr said, according to Yahoo Sports. “When Liberec decided to not postpone the match, we only had 12 players at training on Saturday. There was a threat of suspension, and I didn’t want it to happen.”
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Amazingly enough, Jagr looked like his vintage self. His team lost 7-3, but he dished out two assists in 15:10 of ice time.
The 13-time NHL All-Star played in 109 games for the Knights in the previous five seasons but had not played this season. The Knights are 9-18 on the year.
Jagr was the fifth pick of the 1990 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins and ranks second all-time in points with 1,921 — 936 behind Wayne Gretzky. Jagr is fourth all-time in goals (766) and fifth in assists (1,155).
In his illustrious career, Jagr suited up for the Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames.
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