Jaromir Jagr clears waivers, expected to play in Czech league

Jaromir Jagr cleared waivers on Monday after the Calgary Flames placed him on waivers Sunday.

Jagr, 45 is expected to play in the Czech Republic. But his future in the NHL is uncertain.

Jagr has posted 766 goals (3rd all-time), 1155 assists, (5th all-time) for 1921 points (2nd all-time) in 1733 career NHL games played (3rd all-time).

He has a resume of two Stanley Cups, three Lester B. Pearson Awards, one Hart Trophy,  and one Masterton Trophy.

Flames place Jagr on waivers

TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie reports the  Calgary Flames have placed Czech legend Jaromir Jagr on waivers in what could pave the way for contract termination.

Jagr, 45, needs to play only 38 more games to overtake Gordie Howe for most games played in NHL history. However, Jagr reportedly wants to continue playing in Europe.

Playing in Europe would be the case if Jagr clears waivers. However, he may very well have played in his last NHL game.

Flames place Jagr on Injured Reserve

Forward Jaromir Jagr was placed on injured reserve by the Calgary Flames on Monday because of a lower-body injury.

Jagr, 45, was injured during the first period against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday and did not return to the game, a 4-2 Flames loss.

In five games since signing a one-year, $1 million contract with the Flames on Oct. 4, Jagr has two assists. He had been playing on the top line, with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau.

Jagr is fourth all-time in NHL games played with 1,716, and needs to play 51 to tie Gordie Howe's record of 1,767. He is third with 765 NHL goals, behind Wayne Gretzky (894) and Howe (801), and is second in points with 1,916, behind Gretzky (2,857).

The Flames recalled forward Mark Jankowski from Stockton of the American Hockey League on Monday.

Calgary next plays at the Nashville Predators on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FS-TN, SNF, NHL.TV).

Jagr agrees to one-year contract with Flames: report

Forward Jaromir Jagr agreed to terms on one-year, $1 million contract with the Calgary Flames on Monday, according to Sportsnet.

Jagr could also receive an additional $1 million in bonuses.

The St. Louis Blues made an offer to Jagr during the weekend but were told he was going in another direction, general manager Doug Armstrong told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The Florida Panthers decided not to re-sign Jagr, who had 46 points (16 goals, 30 assists) in 82 games last season, on July 1.

Jagr, 45, became the third player in NHL history to score 750 goals, joining Gordie Howe (801) and Wayne Gretzky (894), on Oct. 20. Exactly two months later, he scored his 1,888th NHL point to pass Mark Messier for second behind Gretzky (2,857). On Feb. 15, his 45th birthday, Jagr scored his 1,900th NHL point.

Jagr (1,914 points) has played 23 NHL seasons with eight teams. He was voted one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players presented by Molson Canadian last season, is third in goals (765), fifth in assists (1,149) and fourth in games played (1,711) in League history. He also holds the NHL record for most game-winning goals (135).

Selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the No. 5 pick in the 1990 NHL Draft, he won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992, and was chosen for the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1990-91 after he scored 57 points (27 goals, 30 assists) in 80 games.

Jagr won the Hart Trophy as League MVP for the 1998-99 season, the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion in 1994-95 and four straight seasons from 1997-2001, and the Masterton Trophy for perseverance in 2016. He has been selected for the NHL All-Star Game 13 times and voted to the NHL First All-Star Team seven times.

Jagr has scored more than 20 goals in a season 19 times in his NHL career, including each of his first 17, 30 or more goals 15 times, more than 40 goals six times, and more than 50 goals three times, including an NHL career-high 62 in 1995-96.

Jagr has scored more than 100 points in a season five times in his NHL career but none since 2005-06, when he had 123 (54 goals, 69 assists) in 82 games. He has played for the Panthers, Rangers, Penguins, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals, and has 201 points (78 goals, 123 assists) in 208 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Jagr is done to CAL. $1M+$1M in bonuses. I think it might not be announced until he gets to the city, but there is a commitment.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 2, 2017

Panthers part ways with future Hall of Famer Jagr

The Florida Panthers announced Saturday night that they are parting ways with long-time veteran Jaromir Jagr.

The future Hall of Famer turned 45 in February and is no longer the scoring threat he was in his prime. Jagr ranks third in NHL history with 765 goals and second with 1,914 points.

"I can't say enough. It was an honor to be touched by a legend," said Panthers general manager Dale Tallon, who made the decision to move on from Jagr. "I was torn. It was a tough couple weeks, or months -- whatever it was. Can't thank him enough. What he did for our kids, for myself and everyone in this organization, you can't measure it."

Jagr, a 10-time All-Star, scored 16 goals and 46 points this past season. He played two-plus seasons with the Panthers.

Jagr recently said on Twitter that he hopes to play next season.

But Tallon felt Jagr remaining with Florida wasn't a good option.

"I think it's time now for our guys to take over," Tallon said. "Our core young guys need to take over this team."

Jagr has five 100-point seasons in his career -- four coming during his 11-season tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Jagr, Holtby, Forsberg named our 'Three Stars of the Night'

NEW YORK -- UNB! Network NHL/hockey blog 'The Neutral Zone' has named Jaromir Jagr, Braden Holtby, and Filip Forsberg as their 'Theee Stars of the Night' for the National Hockey League games taking place on February 28, 2017.

FIRST STAR - JAROMIR JAGR, F, FLORIDA PANTHERS

Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Jagr scored the 215th PPG of his NHL career to tie Joe Nieuwendyk for 11th on the all-time list.

SECOND STAR - BRADEN HOLTBY, G, WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Holtby made 29 saves to improve to 17-0-2 in his past 19 decisions (1.79 GAA, .933 SV%, 4 SO). Holtby (181-68-30) has backstopped the Capitals to at least a point in over three-quarters of his career decisions (211 of 279, 75.6%).

THIRD STAR - FILIP FORSBERG, D, NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Filip Forsberg posted 2-1—3 in the last 8:44 of regulation/OT to help the Predators erase a 4-2 deficit & extend their point streak to 6 games.

News & Notes: Jagr extends game-winning goal record in Panthers win

JAGR ADDS TO GAME-WINNING GOAL TOTAL IN PANTHERS WIN

Jaromir Jagr (1-0-1) scored the 135th game-winning goal of his career to extend his NHL all-time record and help the Florida Panthers improve to 6-1-0 in their past seven games.

* Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Jagr became just the second player to score a game-winning goal after turning 45 years old. Chris Chelios scored his last game-winner with the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 18, 2008 at age 46 (4-0 W vs. the Colorado Avalanche).

* Florida (26-20-10, 62 points), who is 3-0-0 on its five-game road trip, moved within one point of Toronto (26-19-11, 63 points) for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

* James Reimer made 35 saves to improve to 7-1-1 in his last nine decisions (2.13 GAA, .930 SV%).

FRIDAY'S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps

COLUMBUS 2, Pittsburgh 1 (OT)

Colorado 2, CAROLINA 1 (OT)

Florida 4, ANAHEIM 1

FIRST CAREER OT GOALS POWER VICTORIES

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Avalanche each benefited from first career overtime goals on Friday:

* Brandon Dubinsky scored the first overtime goal of his career (675 GP) in highlight-reel fashion and Sergei Bobrovsky made a season-high 38 saves as the Blue Jackets (37-15-5, 79 points) moved within one point of the Pittsburgh Penguins (36-13-8, 80 points) for second place in the Eastern Conference. Bobrovsky improved to 31-12-3 with a 2.17 GAA, .926 SV% and 3 SO, moving into a tie with Devan Dubnyk (31-10-3) for the most wins this season.

* Avalanche rookie Mikko Rantanen (60 GP) scored his first NHL overtime goal as the Avalanche snapped a five-game skid and defeated the Hurricanes in Carolina for the first time since Jan. 12, 2008 (5-4 W). Per Elias, Rantanen became the first Avalanche rookie to score an overtime winner since Tyson Barrie did so on March 30, 2013 (1-0 W vs. the Nashville Predators).

LOOSE PUCKS

Evgeni Malkin (0-1-1) earned the 500th assist of his career to help the Penguins extend their point streak to nine games (6-0-3). … The Ducks used Pride Tape in warmup as part of You Can Play night. …Multi-platinum Grammy-nominated band OneRepublic will headline the entertainment at the 2017 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series.

SNEAK PEEK AT SATURDAY'S ACTION

All Times Eastern

St. Louis @ Buffalo, 1 p.m., MSG-B, FS-MW

Washington @ Detroit, 2 p.m., FS-D, CSN-DC, NHLN

Winnipeg @ Montreal, 2 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports

Edmonton @ Chicago, 7 p.m., SN, WGN, NHLN

NY Islanders @ New Jersey, 7 p.m., MSG, MSG+

Ottawa @ Toronto, 7 p.m., CBC, TVA Sports

San Jose @ Arizona, 8 p.m., FS-A, CSN-CA

Tampa Bay @ Dallas, 8 p.m., FS-SW, SUN

Nashville @ Minnesota, 8 p.m., FS-N, FS-WI, FS-TN

Florida @ Los Angeles, 10 p.m., FS-W, FS-F

Calgary @ Vancouver, 10 p.m., CBC, SN

ALL SEVEN CANADIAN TEAMS IN ACTION ON HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA

All seven Canadian teams will be in action on Saturday, including three all-Canadian matchups, as Sportsnet celebrates the 17th annual Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada (Noon ET on Sportsnet, CBC, Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE and Sportsnet NOW).

In addition to four live NHL games, the 13.5-hour broadcast hosted by Ron MacLean from festivities in Kenora, Ontario, will feature appearances by NHL alumni including Lanny McDonald, Bryan Trottier and Kenora native Mike Richards. The broadcast will also highlight stories that shine a spotlight on the important role that tradition and history play in Canada's national pastime.

- NHL Public Relations

News & Notes: Jaromir Jagr celebrates birthday with 1,900th point

JAGR REACHES 1,900-POINT MILESTONE ON 45TH BIRTHDAY …

Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr had an assist while celebrating his 45th birthday to become the second player with 1,900 NHL points (759-1,141-1,900), joining Wayne Gretzky (894-1,963-2,857).

* Jagr, who has two goals and five assists in eight games on his birthday, became the third skater to play an NHL game after turning 45, joining Gordie Howe and Chris Chelios. Goaltenders Johnny Bower and Moe Roberts also played in the NHL past age 45.

... HUBERDEAU HELPS PANTHERS OUTLAST SHARKS

The Panthers surrendered leads of 3-1 and 5-3, but Jonathan Huberdeau (1-1-2) scored at 1:38 of overtime to lift them to a 6-5 victory against the San Jose Sharks, their fifth win in their past six games.

* At 25-20-10 (60 points), the Panthers climbed within three points of the idle Toronto Maple Leafs (26-19-11, 63 points) for the final wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers have a game in hand.

* Huberdeau has at least one point in all four games since making his season debut Feb. 3. He has three goals, including two game-winners, and four assists. His goal against San Jose was his first NHL overtime goal.

* Aleksander Barkov (2-1-3) and Nick Bjugstad (2-0-2) each scored twice for the Panthers, who have 13 goals in winning their past two games. Barkov, who has scored in three straight games (4-1-5), is tied for second on the Panthers with 13-20-33 this season despite playing 40 games.

WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS
Home Team in Caps

COLUMBUS 5, Toronto 2

St. Louis 2, DETROIT 0

CALGARY 3, Philadelphia 1

Florida 6, SAN JOSE 5 (OT)

DID YOU KNOW?
The game between the Panthers and Sharks on Wednesday was the 41st this season (in 845 games) in which the teams combined for at least 10 goals. The previous season with more such games was 2010-11, when 53 of 1,230 games featured 10 or more goals, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

BLUES SWEEP FIVE-GAME ROAD TRIP FOR FIRST TIME

Carter Hutton made 25 saves for his second straight shutout and Ivan Barbashev scored what stood as the game-winning goal just 2:06 after the opening faceoff as the St. Louis Blues completed their first-ever sweep of a five-game road trip.

* The Blues (30-22-5, 65 points), who share the NHL lead in wins (six) and points (12) in February, have three shutouts in their past five games and occupy the No. 3 seed in the Central Division, three points ahead of the Predators (27-21-8, 62 points).

* Hutton, who has three shutouts in his past four games, is 9-7-2 with a 2.52 goals-against average, .907 save percentage and four shutouts in 24 games. He had four shutouts in his first 76 NHL games.

BLUE JACKETS REGISTER 20TH HOME WIN OF THE SEASON
Five skaters scored to help the Columbus Blue Jackets improve to 36-15-5 (77 points) this season and move back into a tie, in terms of points, for second place in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference.

* With the victory, Columbus eclipsed its point total from 2015-16 campaign (34-40-8, 76 points), aided by a 20-8-1 mark at home this season.

* Elias notes that the Blue Jackets, who had 20th home win in their 29th game at Nationwide Arena, required the fewest home games to hit 20 home wins in their 17-year history. The previous mark of 32 games was set in 2008-09 (20-10-2, 42 points), when they won a Blue Jackets record 25 home games.

LOOSE PUCKS

Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist as the Flames improved to 5-2-0 in their past seven games. … Sharks defenseman Brent Burns (1-1-2) scored his 25th goal of 2016-17 to become the first defenseman since Al MacInnis (1989-90 and 1990-91) to reach the 25-goal mark in consecutive seasons (2015-16: 27 G). Burns is tied for second in the NHL with 25-36-61 this season. … Sharks captain Joe Pavelski (2-2-4) reached the 20-goal mark for the eighth time in 11 NHL seasons, while Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno hit the 20-goal mark for the second time (also 2014-15, 31 G). … The NHL announced details for The PreGame, the official tailgate party of the 2017 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series. … Members of the Ottawa Senators recently hosted several guests as part of Hockey Is For Everyone month. … Detroit Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist was suspended for six games for high-sticking Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon. … The Los Angeles Kings traded defenseman Tom Gilbert to the Washington Capitals for future considerations. … The Montreal Canadiens signed recently-hired head coach Claude Julien to a five-year contract. … The Red Wings honored late owner Mike Ilitch in a pre-game ceremony at Joe Louis Arena and debuted commemorative patches in his honor.

SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY'S ACTION

All Times Eastern
NY Rangers @ NY Islanders, 7 p.m., TVA Sports, MSG+ 2, MSG, NHL.TV

Ottawa @ New Jersey, 7 p.m., MSG+, TSN5, RDS, NHL.TV

Winnipeg @ Pittsburgh, 7 p.m., ROOT, TSN3, NHL.TV

Colorado @ Buffalo, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN, NHL.TV

Vancouver @ St. Louis, 8 p.m., SN, SN360, FS-MW, NHL.TV

Dallas @ Minnesota, 8 p.m., FS-N, FS-WI, FS-SW, NHL.TV

Philadelphia @ Edmonton, 9 p.m., SNW, CSN-PH, NHL.TV

Arizona @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m., FS-W, FS-A, NHL.TV

CROSBY AIMS FOR 1,000TH NHL POINT WHEN PENGUINS HOST JETS
Sidney Crosby (368-631-999), who leads the League with 30 goals, aims to become the 86th NHL player, and eighth active, to reach the 1,000-point milestone when the Pittsburgh Penguins (35-13-7, 77 points) host Patrik Laine and the Winnipeg Jets (26-29-4, 56 points) at PPG Paints Arena. Laine, who is second among rookies with 26 goals, scored three times against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday to become the first NHL player ever with three hat tricks before his 19th birthday.

- NHL Public Relations

Jagr, Hutton, Tkachuk named our 'Three Stars of the Night'

NEW YORK -- UNB! Network NHL/hockey blog 'The Neutral Zone' has named Jaromir Jagr, Carter Hutton, and Matthew Tkachuk as their 'Theee Stars of the Night' for the National Hockey League games taking place on February 15, 2017.

FIRST STAR - JAROMIR JAGR, F, FLORIDA PANTHERS

Jagr became the fifth player (third skater) to play in an NHL game after turning 45 (Gordie Howe, Chris Chelios, Moe Roberts, Johnny Bower). He also collected an assist in the third period to reach the 1,900-point milestone (759-1,141—1,900). Jagr  joins Wayne Gretzky (894-1,963—2,857) as the only players in NHL history to register 1,900 career points.

SECOND STAR - CARTER HUTTOM, G, ST. LOUIS BLUES

Hutton turned aside all 25 shots he faced to backstop the Blues to their fifth consecutive win. Hutton registered his third shutout in his last four appearances (also Feb. 6 at PHI and Jan. 24 at PIT).

THIRD STAR - MATTHEW TKACHUK, F, CALGARY FLAMES

Tkachuk (1-1—2) registered his eighth multi-point game of the season as the Flames improved to 5-2-0 in their last seven contests.

Jaromir Jagr: 100 Greatest NHL Players

by Stu Hackel / Special to NHL.com.

How does one sum up the long, kaleidoscopic career of Jaromir Jagr? 

It seems as if his big smile, boyish charm, mullet and incredible skill -- not to mention his large posterior (he admits having trouble finding jeans that fit him) -- have always been with us. Even during his three Kontinental Hockey League seasons, we always kept an eye on him, just as he kept an eye on the NHL from afar, longing to return.

When he did -- renewed and rededicated -- the world seemed right again, one of hockey's greatest performers and personalities back on its largest, most demanding stage, even as he bounced from team to team, as if to spread the Gospel of Jagr to as many cities as possible.

He converted many. Late in his career, a group of wig-wearing Calgary-based fans even took to dressing in an array of Jagr sweaters -- Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, NHL All-Star, Czech Republic -- calling themselves "The Traveling Jagrs" and attending their hero's games in various NHL towns.

He has been largely adored but never ignored, even when fans have taken issue with him. More than 25 years after entering the NHL, Jaromir Jagr has never been irrelevant.

So how does one sum him up? Let us count the ways.

The simplest way is to review his resume. 

Start with his trophies and awards. He has won the Stanley Cup twice; the Art Ross Trophy as League scoring champion five times; the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player; the Lester Pearson (now Ted Lindsay) Award as the League's most outstanding player, as voted by the players, three times; and the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. He has also made the NHL First All-Star Team seven times and the Second All-Star Team once.

Moving to the NHL's all-time leaderboard, he's second in points, third in goals and fifth in assists.

We can also take the long view: In 2013-14, he turned 42 and led the Devils in scoring; two seasons later, at 44, he led the Panthers in scoring and was a main factor in their first-place Atlantic Division finish. Jagr has joined a select group of players -- Hall of Famers Gordie Howe, Chris Chelios, Gump Worsley, Johnny Bower, Jacques Plante, Dominik Hasek, Tim Horton, Doug Harvey, Dave Keon, Johnny Bucyk, Mark Messier, and Igor Larionov among them -- who made a sizable impact well into their 40s.

"As a guy who played until he was 41, I understand just how tough it is to play in the league as an older player," Carolina Hurricanes general manager and former Penguins teammate Ron Francis told sportsnet.ca. "It's fantastic what he's able to do out there. And the fact is, it's tougher to play in the League in your 40s now than it was in my last years. The game's faster across the board." 

Then there's the thoughtful approach. Here's what his then-coach with the Penguins, Scotty Bowman, told Sports Illustrated's E.M. Swift in 1992: "He's a different type of player than the League has seen in a long time. He has a lot of Frank Mahovlich in him. His skating style and strength make him almost impossible to stop 1-on-1. A lot of big guys play with their sticks tight to their bodies and don't use that reach to their advantage like Jaromir does.

"When Jaromir gets the puck, he's always thinking, 'Where can I go with it?' He reminds me of Maurice Richard in that way. They both played the off-wing, and both had so many moves I don't think either knew which moves they were going to do until they did them. Totally unpredictable."

Decades later, after having those words read back to him, Bowman found them still true. "That's him," Bowman said. "He hasn't changed much, except he plays more now from the blue line in. He's still very tough around the goal line. He likes to fish pucks behind the net and in the corner. He's got a good sense for the net. I mean, he seems to score goals and you say, 'How the hell did that go in?'

"There aren't many players I've ever seen who can hold the puck the way he does. He's really physically strong and -- even now, at 44, almost 45 -- you think he's going to be checked, he comes out of the corner and you think a guy is going to poke the puck off his stick, but it never happens."

Many of those qualities were on display on the goal that Bowman, and many others, can't forget, during the 1992 Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks, when Jagr was 20. Five minutes remained in Game 1 and Pittsburgh trailed by a goal late in the third period when Jagr picked off a Brent Sutter outlet pass and skated to the half-boards where, with his back to the wall, he was surrounded by three Blackhawks. He slid the puck between Sutter's legs and elastically oozed past him, extending his arm and stick to their full lengths to gather the puck back in again at the faceoff dot and, in the same motion, immediately swept it to his backhand, which left the oncoming defenseman Frantisek Kucera checking only air. Jagr took three strong strides through the slot, maneuvering around the roadblock created by teammate Shawn McEachern, who had tied up Igor Kravchuk trying to get at Jagr. Then, from 15 feet out, he ripped a backhander past Ed Belfour to tie the game.

One of his heroes and mentors, Mario Lemieux, who scored the game-winning goal in the final seconds of regulation, called it "the greatest goal I've ever seen." All these years later, it would still be a candidate for that honor.

How about sustained superiority? For four consecutive seasons (1997-98 to 2000-01), Jagr led the NHL in scoring. Only Wayne Gretzky (who did it eight straight years), Gordie Howe, Phil Esposito and Jagr have accomplished that. 

Jagr had already shared the scoring title in 1994-95 with Eric Lindros, and he nearly won it again in 2005-06 when he finished with 123 points (and 54 goals, both Rangers records), two behind San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton. 

Can we talk about his dedication? The countless hours he spent improving his shot, using weighted sticks and forcing backup goalies to stay long after practice while he fired pucks at them? How about his regular midnight phone calls to his strength coach, beckoning him to the gym for workouts? Or his flipping on the lights at the practice rink while the rest of the world is asleep to skate solo? Or his mentoring of players like Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell and Jakub Voracek in Philadelphia, Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau in Florida and Petr Prucha in New York.

And then there's the love for a player who largely has been one of hockey's most popular figures. 

In the early '90s, long before "The Traveling Jagrs," Penguins fans learned he loved a certain brand of chocolate bar. He was flooded with them in the mail. "I eat them all," he said with a laugh. 

A New Jersey brewery even launched a new Czech-style Pilsner beer, Jaromir Lager, with his likeness on the label.

Jagr, who was born Feb. 15, 1972, in Kladno, Czechoslovakia, began skating at 3 and played organized hockey before he started attending school. He also adopted a rigorous calisthenics program when he was 5 and has always maintained a furious workout regimen. He regularly played with kids as much as four years older.

"My father's idea," he told Sports Illustrated in 1992. "When I played against other 6-year-olds, I was great. When I played against 10-year-olds, I was average. He wanted me to play where I was average."

A hockey prodigy if there ever was one, he was so advanced by 12 that he started playing junior hockey. To get permission, his father and coaches had him tested by a prominent Prague doctor -- who judged his overall fitness as better than that of some professional athletes -- and then appealed to various hockey administrators to reclassify him to play with older boys. He scored 24 goals and 41 points in 34 games for the Kladno juniors that year and in his next three seasons averaged more than two points a game. 

Officially, Jagr didn't begin playing professionally for the Kladno team in the top Czech league until he was 16. Unofficially, when he was still 15 in January 1988, he played for his country in an international tournament, scoring a goal and getting his first paycheck. "I was actually playing illegally," he wrote in his 1997 autobiography, "so there was no Jagr on the roster. I was hiding behind the name Zdenek Hrabe," who was an older pro on Kladno. 

Pittsburgh selected him with the No. 5 pick in the 1990 NHL Draft after Pierre McGuire scouted him for the Penguins at the World Junior Championship in Helsinki, where Jagr had five goals and 18 points in seven games for Czechoslovakia, which won a bronze medal. "He was an amazing puck possession player," McGuire said years later. "For a player of that age to be that strong and dominate the puck really stood out. He played with Bobby Holik and Robert Reichel and the Russians had Pavel Bure, Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Mogilny -- and there really wasn't much separating those lines except Jagr's size and his ability to dominate the puck."

Unlike his mullet, which was shorn and returned, the desire to dominate never left. 

"I don't think there was ever a time he didn't want the puck," Penguins teammate Robert Lang told sportsnet.ca. "I think he could be on his deathbed and he will still be like, 'Hey, give me the puck.'"

Jagr has said he'd like to play until he's 50. But as 2017 dawned, he had a new number in mind.

"Fifty-five. I just changed it. Because I feel so good," he said, laughing. "I'll go to 55."

Don't bet against him.

Jaromir Jagr leads 3 Stars of the Week

NEW YORK -- Florida Panthers right wing Jaromir Jagr , Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot have been named the NHL's "Three Stars" for the week ending Dec. 25.

FIRST STAR - JAROMIR JAGR, RW, FLORIDA PANTHERS

Jagr led the League with five assists in three games to move into second place in all-time NHL scoring (755-1,134-1,889 in 1,664 GP) and power the Panthers (15-14-6, 36 points) to three out of a possible six standings points. He registered his 252nd career three-point performance and 59th career three-assist game - in a 4-3 shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres Dec. 20 - to tie Mark Messier (694-1,193-1,887 in 1,756 GP) for second place on the League's all-time points list. Jagr then collected one helper, in a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins Dec. 22, to move past Messier and into sole possession of second place in all-time NHL scoring. He finished the week with another assist in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings Dec. 23. The 44-year-old Kladno, Czech Republic, native - who ranks second on the Panthers with 6-15-21 in 35 outings this season - also places third in NHL history in goals (755), fourth in games played (1,664) and sixth in assists (1,134).

SECOND STAR - JEFF CARTER, C, LOS ANGELES KINGS

Carter paced the NHL with five goals in three contests to lift the Kings (17-13-4, 38 points) to four out of a possible six standings points. He scored twice in regulation - and also found the back of the net in the shootout - during a 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets Dec. 20. Carter added one goal in a 4-0 triumph over the Nashville Predators Dec. 22 before capping the week with two more - his fifth multi-goal effort of the season - in a 3-2 overtime loss against the Dallas Stars Dec. 23. The 31-year-old London, Ont., native shares second place in the NHL with 19 goals and also leads the Kings with 29 points in 34 games this season.

THIRD STAR - CAM TALBOT, G, EDMONTON OILERS

Talbot went 2-0-1 with a 2.26 goals-against average and .926 save percentage to backstop the Oilers (18-12-6, 42 points) to five out of a possible six standings points. He made 25 saves in a 3-2 overtime victory against the St. Louis Blues Dec. 19, 34 stops in a 3-2 triumph over the Arizona Coyotes Dec. 21 and 28 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks Dec. 23. The 29-year-old Caledonia, Ont., native is tied for fourth place in the NHL with 17 wins in 32 appearances this season to go along with a 2.52 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and three shutouts.

He's No. 2: Jagr moves into second on NHL points list

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr has moved into outright No. 2 spot on the NHL career scoring list.

Jagr got career point No. 1,888 on Thursday night, breaking a tie with Mark Messier. The historic point was an assist with 6:40 left in the third period of Florida's 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

"I appreciate everything ... over my hockey career, and I thank the fans," Jagr said in a brief ceremony during which he was given a golden stick.

Only Wayne Gretzky, with 2,857 points, has more than Jagr. Aleksander Barkov was credited with the goal that deflected off the 44-year-old Czech star.

In a video, Gretzky offered congratulations. "You play the game the right way," he told Jagr.

The game was stopped for a celebration, and Jagr came onto the ice to accept the commemorative golden stick from the Panthers. He waved to the crowd, got congratulatory stick-taps from both teams, and the game — his 1,663rd in the NHL — resumed.

Jaromir Jagr scores 750th NHL goal

Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr scored his 750th NHL goal Thursday, becoming the third player in history to do so.

Jagr, who scored his first goal of the season 14:10 into the second period of a 4-2 the Washington Capitals at BB&T Center, trails Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801) on the all-time list.

"That's nice, but I'd rather win," Jagr said. "So it's kind of tough."

In 1,633 games, with the Panthers, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, Jagr has 1,870 points.

Jagr, 44, who is playing his 23rd NHL season, is 17 points behind Mark Messier (1,887) for second all-time. Gretzky is first with 2,857. Jagr is sixth in assists (1,120), 15 behind Paul Coffey for fifth.

"It's always good to get the first one," Jagr said. "A good play, a good pass, I was wide open in the slot. ... I had a lot of chances in the games before but I couldn't put the puck in. I'm glad I did tonight."

Age and career GP at time of 750th NHL goal (via @EliasSports)

Gretzky – age 31; 1,001 GP
Howe – age 41; 1,598 GP
Jagr – age 44; 1,633 GP pic.twitter.com/eeA6kbJpwG

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 21, 2016