AS I SEE IT COLUMN: The incredible Jaromír Jágr

The remarkable career of Jaromír Jágr is finally, after an amazing career of 37 years in professional hockey in North America and Europe, coming to an end.

And it’s ending where it all began, in Kladno, Czech Republic.

Jágr made his professional hockey debut in Kladno when he was a teenager, and now he ends it with the same team, a team he now owns.

Statistically he is the greatest right-winger in NHL history.

Jágr holds the record for the most game-winning goals by any player in any position (135), most goals and most assists by a right-winger in a single season and in a career, he is tied for the most consecutive 30 goal seasons (15) and he sits second in all-time in points scored (1,921) behind the Great One.

His 21-year gap between Stanley Cup appearances is the longest ever and Jágr is the oldest player in NHL history to score a hat trick (he was just shy of his 43rd birthday).

He won Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992 and he was the league’s most valuable player in 1999. Jágr was also the league’s leading scorer, winning the Art Ross Trophy five times, all with the Penguins.

In his 24-year NHL career, Jágr played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers and the Calgary Flames.

Jágr had a penchant for scoring not just a lot of game-winning goals, but a ton of highlight-reel goals. He could “stick handle in a phone a booth” and often had a big smile on his face. It was clear he genuinely loved playing hockey.

In addition to his two NHL championships, Jágr is part of that rare group of hockey players that have won the biggest three events in the sport of hockey — the Stanley Cup, Olympic gold and a World championship.

The Penguins powerhouse team in the 90s was a treat to watch for hockey fans and must have been a nightmare to play against. If their opponent’s checking line somehow managed to keep Mario Lemieux off the score sheet, they would then have to deal with Jágr’s line. It was a one-two scoring punch that brought hockey fans to their feet and produced pure dread in their opponents.

Besides his offensive prowess, Jágr is also known for popularizing the mullet, the trademark haircut of hockey players – “business up front; party in the back” – that was hugely popular in the 80’s and is happily making a strong comeback. Jágr didn’t invent the mullet, but he singlehandedly made it extremely fashionable.

One can only imagine what kind of a send-off Jágr will receive in his farewell tour of a season in his native country.

Czechs love their hockey and now they will have a full hockey season to show their love for the greatest hockey that hockey-mad country has ever produced.

Dobrá práce Jaromír!