Jaromir Jagr: Goodbye and Thank You

Today the NHL lost one of its biggest names and an all-time great when Jaromir Jagr made official his decision to join Avangard-Omsk of the Russian Continental League. 

Jagr, 36, will finish his career in Siberia rather than the NHL after it became apparent that the New York Rangers, the last NHL sweater he will wear, had decided to move in another direction. 

In many ways this is a bittersweet ending to one of the greatest careers in NHL history.  While Jagr's production slipped last season he was able to show during the playoff drive and the playoffs that he was still capable of being a dominant hockey player. 

There were shifts, in which he competed against players half his age the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, where Jagr was still clearly the best player on the ice.

In the end it was not the New York Rangers but Kevin Lowe's Edmonton Oilers who made the strongest push to keep Jagr in the NHL.  But their offer was not enough to keep the 10 time All-Star on North American soil. 

The NHL is a lesser league today than it was yesterday.  This article will provide a retrospective on one of the NHL's most under-appreciated all-time greats: Number 68 Jaromir Jagr.

Jaromir Jagr was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the fifth overall pick in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.  Jagr joined a powerhouse Penguins team led by Mario Lemieux and immediately made an impact.  Pairing with Lemieux, Jagr tallied 27 goals in his first season in route to winning the Stanley Cup in six games over the Minnesota North Stars. 

It was during those finals that Jagr became the youngest player ever, at 19, to score a goal in the Stanley Cup Finals.  The Lemieux-Jagr led Penguins would repeat as Cup Champions in 1992, the last Cup either would win.

Jagr became a larger part of the Penguins offense in 1993-94 after Mario Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease.  Before his diagnosis Lemieux was the focal point of the Penguins offensive attack. But Jagr was forced to shoulder a larger burden when the Captain was forced to miss two months for treatment.

In the lockout shortened 1994-95 season Jagr secured his first Art Ross Trophy, as the NHL's leading scorer, when he put up 70 points in an abbreviated 48 games.  It would be an award Jagr would win five times in his career.

It was 1995-96 when Jagr blossomed into one of the league's elite players.  After tallying 94 points in 1993 and 99 in 1994, Jagr exploded for 62 goals and 87 assists. The 149 points were good for the record by a European born player  but despite these obscene numbers Mario Lemieux was once again just a shade better, winning the scoring title with 161 points.

After Mario Lemieux's retirement after the 1996 season and the 1997 trade of Ron Francis to the Carolina Hurricanes, Jagr became the 14th Captain in Penguins history.  This also marked the beginning of a remarkable run in which Jagr won four consecutive NHL scoring titles from 1998-2001. 

During this time Jagr also helped lead his native Czech Republic to Olympic Gold at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.  In addition to Olympic Gold was added Jagr's one and only Hart Memorial Trophy, as league MVP, in 1999 and two Lester B. Pearson Awards as NHLPA MVP in 1998 and 1999. 

Despite many great years in Pittsburgh Jagr's Penguins career came to an ugly end.  In 2000 Jagr was highly criticized for his treatment of Coach Ivan Hlinka.  Jagr was came under particular criticism for his emphasis on his personal situation rather than the goals of the team.

Many believe it was Jagr's situation that prompted Mario Lemieux's surprising comeback.  While Lemieux claimed that the intent of his return was to bring the team together it ended up causing friction between the two.  While Jagr was the Captain he never was able to escape the reality that it was once again Lemieux's team. 

In 2001 Jagr was traded to the Washington Capitals for three prospects, only one of which is still in the NHL.  Almost immediately after setting foot in Washington, Jagr and the Caps agreed on the largest contract extension in NHL history.  The deal would pay Jagr $77 million dollars over seven years with an option for an eighth. 

Jagr, who despite the big contract, never fit in with the Capitals.  He struggled to find his scoring touch over 2 1/2 mostly uneventful seasons.  With his production dropping and a huge salary the Capitals struggled to find any takers.  Many teams were also reluctant to take on a huge contract in an era of impending labor issues that would ultimately lead to the 2004 lockout. 

The Capitals finally found a taker, though at a high cost, when Jagr was dealt to the New York Rangers in 2004 for Anson Carter.  In order to unload the huge contract the Capitals had to agree to contribute $4 million dollars a season to pay for a player no longer on their roster.

Jagr came to a Rangers franchise that had fallen on serious hard-times.  General Manager Glen Sather had struggled mightily for years to turn the team into cup contenders and many questionable moves left the team out of the playoffs for seven straight seasons. 

During the lockout Jagr first joined HC Kladno of the Czech Elite League and then Avangard-Omsk of the Russian Super League.  In 49 games for the two teams Jagr tallied 68 points.

Returning to the NHL in 2005 Jagr led the Rangers back to the playoffs almost single-handidly.  In that special season Jagr set all kinds of Rangers records including most goals, 54, and most points 123.

Despite these numbers Jagr was unable to surpass the Sharks Joe Thornton who won the scoring title.  As a consolation prize however, Jagr would win his third and final Pearson Trophy.  It was during this season that he also passed Stan Mikita for most career points by a European born player.

In a season that many predicted the Rangers to be one of the league's worst, the playoff drought finally ended. 

But while Jagr was able to lead the team to a playoff birth, injuries, forced the team to a quick exit at the hands of the New Jersey Devils.  A separated shoulder in the series first game, which he played through, left Jagr a shell of his regular season self. 

After initially refusing the position, Jaromir Jagr was named the 24th Captain of the New York Rangers on October 5, 2006.  Just over a month later on November 19 he tallied his 600th career NHL goal.  Also during this season he would reach 1500 career points. 

The year 2008 was a difficult one for Jagr and the Rangers.  An uneven and inconsistent year for both led many to question Jagr's commitment and desire to win.  Jagr often seemed uncomfortable and unable to gel with the Rangers big free agent acquisitions Scott Gomez and Chris Drury.  Neither played a style conducive to his game and the results showed on the ice.

The one Rangers center whom Jagr did gel with was rookie Brandon Dubinsky.  Dubinsky and Jagr became close both on and off the ice with the older veteran serving as a mentor for the youngster. 

As the season entered its final weeks, Rangers fans were once again treated to the dominant Jaromir Jagr whom had been missing for most of the season.  Jagr almost literally carried the team into the playoffs and his dominant play helped spark an easier than expected first round victory over the New Jersey Devils.  It also led to a matchup with Jagr's former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins and their young Captain Sidney Crosby.

While the Rangers were not able to advance it became clear as the series progressed that despite his advancing age, Jagr was still capable of sticking with the big guns in the league.  In many instances Jagr appeared to still have that quick extra step and to be the most dominant player on the ice. 

When the Rangers were eliminated in five games, many speculated on the future hall of famers future.  Most believed he would end up returning to the Rangers.  But with each passing week without communication it appeared more and more likely that free agency was in the offing. 

Few if any took seriously the reports that Jagr was willing to forego his NHL stardom to finish his career in Russia.  This despite the reported boatloads of money being thrown around.

But in the end, the Rangers and Jaromir Jagr both decided it was time to go in other directions.  For the Rangers it came down to an unwillingness to declare this Jagr's team.  For Jagr, even more than money, it was about feeling wanted.

So for an NHL career that included 646 goals, 953 assists, two Stanley Cups, one Hart Trophy, five Art Ross Trophy's and NHL records of 15 straight 30 goal and 70 point seasons, we say thank you Jaromir Jagr.  You were underappreciated when you were here and you will be missed.