The Ageless Wonder | The Story Behind Jaromir Jagr

There are legends. And then there’s Jags.
The talent. The longevity. The mullet. The salute. Hockey has never known another superstar so electrifying, enigmatic, and enduring.
From his humble beginnings in the shadow of the Iron Curtain to NHL icon status to cultural phenomenon, this is the story behind: Jaromir Jagr.
Written & Narrated by: Jonah Birenbaum (@Birenball | Twitter)
Produced & Edited By: Jeff Wall (@JeffaustinWall | Twitter)
Thumbnail Design by: Justin Shipley (@shipleysportstudio | Instagram)
Courtesy List :pastebin.com/ipjMtF69
Follow us on Instagram: / thescore
Follow us on Facebook: / thescore
Follow us on Twitter: / thescore
#JaromirJagr #Jagr #NHL

[@Hiiipower91]

The man The myth The mullet

[@47tooter]

The Poodle.

[@siobhanofarrell4646]

@@47tooterJesus dude - are you STILL at it? I remember you from YEARS ago - always bashing Jagr. Just tell the truth. You hit on him at some point, your man-gina just aching, and he laughed in your face. You really DON’T have a life 😂

[@181cameron]

Had no idea he was still playing. Dude's 6 years older than me and the best I can do is skate backwards and swear in Quebecois when I play beer league.

[@hejlik4859]

Jasně, že hraje. Rytíři Kladno, ale jsou poslední a budou hrát o záchranu. Já bydlím v Mladé Boleslavi a to je taky město ve středočeském kraji a jsme předposlední. Je to jako Philadelphia a Pittsburgh hrají v pensylvani

[@faunbudweis]

The talent is undeniable, but he also put in all the extra work. As a 10-year-old he had a little notebook where he noted all his extra exercise, 1000 squats every day, and if for any reason he missed those one day, he would make up for it the next. What 10-year-old boy does that, totally on his own? One in a million.

[@alyours2889]

1921 points in 1733 games! As far as longevity and consistency goes...very impressive! At his peak...a top 5 unstoppable hockey machine of all time! What? Same letters? Jaromir = Mario Jr, that is incredible.

[@dextrosebizarre]

For strengh and talent, his top 5, but for his impact on the game, no, because of his lack of leadership and intensity. For instance Forsberg, St-Louis or Selanne, when it mattered the most were more influent on the game. And they are not top top 5 of history.

[@theold4734]

@@dextrosebizarre im sorry but he doesnt lack leadership nor intesity and he showed that every time he played fo national team...

[@johnrussell5896]

That was the year I was born 68 people don't know that number a lot of people don't know why he where's the number 68. Really look up the history is the best hockey player in the world 🌎

[@hejlik4859]

​@@johnrussell5896 kvůli okupaci Československa Ruskem v srpnu roku 68 ! U nás nenávidíme rusko už hodně dlouho , než si celá evropa uvědomila co je zač rus. Teď to vidíme na ukrajině!

[@siobhanofarrell4646]

@@dextrosebizarreJags definitely had more impact in a number of ways. Besides inspiring & motivating the younger players alongside him as he got older - he also helped SAVE A DAMN FRANCHISE. Before the ‘98-‘99 season began the media literally said “No Lemieux, No Francis, No Hope”; they didn’t think Jags would finish as high up in scoring because they tried to attribute all of his success to playing with Mario & Francis & they said the Pens wouldn’t make the playoffs. Instead Jagr ran away with the scoring race & carried a bunch of journeyman players into the playoffs. The Pens WERE BANKRUPT & it appeared they were going to be moved to Kansas City or Portland. After missing most of the 1st series with a severe groin injury, Jagr came back for Game 6, basically played on one leg, won the game, led a bankrupt team to knock out the No. 1 seeded Devils & managed to push Toronto to 6 games before the Pens exited the playoffs. All those games generated MUCH needed money AND gave Mario the time to put together a group to buy the franchise and keep it in Pittsburgh. Mario & Jaromir SAVED A FRANCHISE - and THAT is something Selanne or even 99 NEVER did

[@liamlachance9951]

I love how last night jags posted to the internet saying that he was proud of Alex for passing him in goals, this man has Gretzky sportsmanship

[@biggiesnores9866]

The Mullet was legendary.

[@timetowakeup6302]

*is legendary

[@rockinyouallnight]

Jagr is one of the GOATs. He can still be effective in the NHL this coming season. He's better than some of the lazier youngsters on some of the NHL teams (Detroit, Phoenix, etc.). I hope that some NHL team signs him next season.

[@saydaddy91]

Fun fact part of the reason he got picked by the pens is that he said that he wouldn’t defect if he was required to when asked by other teams but did say yes to the pens because he really wanted to play with Mario that much

[@jerryczech953]

PRETTY accurate ...for someone from Czech Republic ....and the picture with Skoda Favorit in 1990 ...was awasome . the car was sold couple years ago to lucky owner :-)

[@johnchiu]

More people need to see these! You guys are amazing storytellers. Thanks for always telling riveting stories about these athletes.

[@kimpurcell8851]

I miss the Power Penguin days. They were so good to watch and Jagr was (is) my all time favorite player. You'd watch him and the puck and in a blink of the eye your brain would freeze with a "WTF just happened" because a goal would be scored, insane pass made, or a impossible assist racked up. It would happen so fast and fluidly your brain just wouldn't pick it up on the first view, and he was SMART with great vision and positioning. Jagr is the hockey version of Larry Bird, and just like Bird the more you watch, the more you read, the more you realize that he's better than you thought he was even as a fan of him. There are bigger names but I'm not sure there are many bigger total players.

[@r.edward5701]

I was lucky enough to go watch them during their first two cup winning seasons. He was a joy to watch in warmup. Certainly made an impression on a 15 year old me. One of my favs

[@nathanmuir5420]

One of the Top 4 players of all time.

[@780tk]

Favorite player of all time

[@1997aiya]

God what a stud he is! Just gets better with time!

[@user-bm6cm4ii3m]

Тhe horse was retired to stud

[@47tooter]

Well when you don't check or fight you can last a while. ..and fake injuries and take dives, Christ, he will be playing in his 90s.

[@PAVEL-JAKL]

Being Czech native Jaromir makes me proud.

[@markjackson6431]

he’s like Gordie Howe, playing into their 50s

[@olivedoo777]

This is so fascinating and well written! Thanks for coming out with such unique and in-depth content!

[@edivadR]

The G.O.A.T

[@jcdova29]

The best mullet in the history of hockey!!!

[@torwashereee]

Great video love this series

[@georgeinfante1106]

One of the top hockey players. love the hair wigs fans ☺

[@yoinkhaha]

Inimitable is right. Tremendous athlete.

[@dextrosebizarre]

Super great vidéo!!!

[@groupbeast3720]

Ah doing the same format from theScore eSports! Great idea

[@maedhros3305]

You put this guy on the power play for any NHL team and hes still scoring 10 or 15 goals a season.

[@user-nx5tm2ro7u]

It’s wild he’s still playing for the home town team that he runs and owns. But he’s made some more recent comments that seem like he does want to retire playing and has a hard time meeting the physical demand but is afraid to commit to retire because he is worried that if he does his team will lose sponsorships and no longer be viable as a team. And if that’s truly the case that’s unfortunate. I love the dude playing forever if it’s truly what he wants but if it’s because he feels like he has to or the team will fail then that kinda stinks. Either way wild to think he’s 51 and played 35 consecutive professional hockey seasons at some level with I think 24 or so in the NHL. Just wild.

[@9mmSafetyAlways0ff]

Sent Gretzky packing scoring the O.T winner on Gretzky last game

[@kingofbratz3626]

GOAT

[@johnhein4851]

I am so glad I get to wear him on a Flames Jersey!

[@TheEivory]

imagine all time points if he didn't go to Omsk and just kept playing in NHL

[@colleengriffiths5421]

❤❤❤

[@trixus4768]

Update: In 2024, he is still playing for Kladno and in the age of 52, he returned to NHL times style of training...😮

[@chezunrau-toews6917]

Giroux's form doing those kb swings was hard to watch...

[@TheRageng]

Pan Jagr je môj Bagr

[@pauldefazio3480]

Have one of his sticks hanging in my Den A.T. lived across the street from my grandfather

[@SMONclips]

Was that hasek at 14:40 ?

[@georgew2432]

If Jagr would have stayed in the NHL instead of playing in Europe in his prime he would probably have Gretzkys goal record and be well over 2000 pts (but not close to 99 ps wise)

[@drelee9336]

How many US satellite state exist?

[@asssm89]

You can tell the kid who made this had no friends who played hockey.

[@MayorofNumber3]

I hope he still retires as a Penguin even if it’s one game.

[@dextrosebizarre]

About his longetivity and superpower... I don't know if Ovi is willing to train as much as Jagr as aging, but he definitively has the genetic and the power to go on as long as hi did. It's desappointing he moved to Washington when he was still at his prime... In a real hockey market, with great fans, he would have stayed focussed on his game, and be much more productive. Or maybe, he should have stayed few more bad years with Pittsburg to be part of the new dynasty with Crosby, Malkin, Fleury an Letang. Sad to say, but half of his carreer NHL points seems to be meaningless because they had no purpose. For instance, the second carreers of Greztky and Messier with LA and NY are to be remembered. I prefer the magic of Modano or Yzerman for what they did one team, and I think that a retired Jagr from Pittsburg at 30 would have been as magic.

[@faunbudweis]

He holds the Rangers' scoring records in a single season and I'd say Philly fans (who once hated him) also remember him fondly for how he helped Giroux to take off. But yeah, he even said it himself once, he walked onto a stacked team led by Mario, won 2 Cups in his first two seasons, thought it was easy, only later realized how hard it actually was. Some of those Art Ross seasons on otherwise mediocre Pens teams (remember him playing on a line with Kip Miller and Jan Hrdina? true, they had Straka-Lang-Kovalev too back then..) + the whole stint in Washington felt kinda meaningless.

[@siobhanofarrell4646]

He didn’t “move” to Washington jack ass - you make it sound like it was voluntary. The Pens were coming out of bankruptcy and they literally COULD NOT AFFORD TO KEEP HIM. Jaromir has said himself - he NEVER wanted to leave Pittsburgh. And one of his teammates from the Pens & NYR - Darius Kasparaitis - said the same thing: that he would have wanted to play for the Pens his entire career just like Mario - and it hurt him when the fans would boo him - but Jaromir has stated - he knew that they were going to have to sign a bunch of free agents including their entire second line: Straka, Kovalev and Lang, and that if they kept him at the expense of losing everyone else - the team wouldn’t improve either. He thought he was doing what was best for the franchise (and by extension Mario - who was the owner) long term - in essentially asking to be sold. Because that’s what happened - he was sold to Washington in exchange for 3 prospects and $4,999,999 - and it DID help the Pens long term. Had he stayed - they would have finished too high up in the standings and they never would have been able to draft Fleury, Malkin or Crosby.

[@dextrosebizarre]

@@siobhanofarrell4646 I don't know why you need to insult people to praise Jagr. I can be wrong about him, so what? You think you are always right? We can't desagree without insulting. Anyway... Elsewhere than Pittsburg I guess, Jagr is not not remembered for his leadership on the ice like Henri Richard, Doug Gilmore, Mark Messier, Patrick Roy, Crosby, Toews, Trottier and so and so...

[@ItsAllAboutGuitar]

Chris Chelios retired at 48. Seems like hockey and baseball have an older retirement age.

[@elizahhoward6810]

Hockey players have the career span of skaters

[@justineebourgeois3420]

1st

[@Jay-n262]

Jagr could've been more of a dominant force on the ice at 240lbs. To put that in perspective Peter Forsberg only weighed 210lbs but was a guy who could flatten you with a body check.

[@johny5400]

funfact: life is more censored and oppressive now than when I lived in communist czechoslovakia

[@justineebourgeois3420]

Jagr > Gretzky

[@user-bm6cm4ii3m]

I'm SURPRISED that clown did cut the horse tail from around its own neck.. Or he yet wears it? Does him still playing hockey for Trinidad und tobago's toothless sharks?.... Me rememba that NOTHIN' and NONE could stop him from playing hockey!... Or is him planning a comeback to NHL anytime soon?

[@idrinkgasoline72]

Ovi but not decking people, is what sums up this man.

[@Matt-cr4vv]

It’s wild he’s still playing for the home town team that he runs and owns. But he’s made some more recent comments that seem like he does want to retire playing and has a hard time meeting the physical demand but is afraid to commit to retire because he is worried that if he does his team will lose sponsorships and no longer be viable as a team. And if that’s truly the case that’s unfortunate. I love the dude playing forever if it’s truly what he wants but if it’s because he feels like he has to or the team will fail then that kinda stinks. Either way wild to think he’s 51 and played 35 consecutive professional hockey seasons at some level with I think 24 or so in the NHL. Just wild.

[@hejlik4859]

Ano, Rytíři Kladno jsou poslední a budou hrát o záchranu v extralize! Pokud spadnou myslím ,že to bude konec . Jaká škoda, bydlím 25 mil od Kladna v Mladé Boleslavi a ta hraje taky extraligu a je součástí středočeského kraje společně s Kladnem. Oboum týmům se letos vůbec nedaří, ale Boleslav se zachrání.