Penguins will finally retire NHL legend Jaromir Jagr’s jersey during February ceremony

Jaromir Jagr’s fabled No. 68 jersey will soon rise to the rafters at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ home arena.

The team announced Friday Jagr’s jersey number will be retired during a Feb. 18 ceremony before the Penguins play the Los Angeles Kings.

Jagr’s NHL career began with the Penguins in 1990. He spent 11 seasons with the franchise and departed after the 2000-01 season. 

Jagr’s NHL playing days spanned 24 seasons. Arguably the most memorable moments of his storied career happened in Pittsburgh. He helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992.

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Jagr collected 439 goals and 640 assists in 806 regular-season games with the Penguins from 1990 to 2001. He still remains in the top five in franchise history in games played (fifth), points (fourth), goals (fourth) and assists (fourth).

The Penguins traded Jagr to Washington before the 2001-2002 season. Jagr played another 13 years after leaving Pittsburgh, spending time with eight teams, including the Capitals, the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Jagr stepped away from the NHL after playing 22 games for Calgary in the 2017-2018 season. His 1,921 career points rank second in NHL history behind Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky.

Jagr turned 51 this year. In September, he strongly suggested he would once again put on a uniform and play in the upcoming season for the Rytiri Kladno Knights. Jagr owns the team, a professional franchise in the Czech Republic.

“Another hockey season has begun. I just read that I played Extraliga for Kladno for the first time 35 years ago. It’s been a minute,” Jagr wrote in a translated Facebook post. “But the nervousness, the anticipation before the start. … This is still the same.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.