Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger, born on February 15, 1972, in Kladno, Czechoslovakia, now known as the Czech Republic.
At 52 years old, he is also the owner of Rytíři Kladno of the Czech Extraliga (ELH).
Jágr’s NHL career included stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils.
Drafted by the Penguins as the fifth overall pick in 1990, he secured two Stanley Cup championships with the team in 1991 and 1992.
Siblings
Jaromír has an older sister named Jitka.
While Jaromír is a global celebrity due to his hockey career, his sister Jitka Járová generally maintains a lower public profile.
She is known to be involved in various aspects of Jaromír’s life and career, particularly in managing some of his business affairs in the Czech Republic.
Career
Jágr’s professional ice hockey career is defined by its remarkable length and significant achievements.
He has participated in 37 professional seasons and over 2,000 professional games.
Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins as the fifth overall pick in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, Jágr, at age 18, was the NHL’s youngest player.
He secured consecutive Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992.
Jágr holds the second-most points in NHL history, only surpassed by Wayne Gretzky.
He has won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL scoring champion five times, including four consecutive times, and in the 1994–95 season, he won his first Art Ross Trophy after tying with Eric Lindros with 70 points; Jágr won based on his 32 goals to Lindros’ 29.
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He has also won the Lester B. Pearson Award for the NHL’s outstanding player three times and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player once.
Jágr has been selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game seven times.
On January 3, 2015, he became the oldest player in NHL history to score a hat-trick at 42 years and 322 days. Jágr has scored 766 goals in the NHL, positioning him fourth on the league’s all-time list.
Jágr is a distinguished member of the Triple Gold Club, having won the Stanley Cup (1991, 1992), the Ice Hockey World Championships (2005, 2010), and an Olympic gold medal (1998).
He notably led the Czech Republic to a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and was the nation’s flag bearer at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
In 2017, Jágr was celebrated as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.
On April 18, 2024, at the age of 52 years and 63 days, Jágr became the oldest player ever to score a goal in a professional competition.
Accolades
Jágr’s career is decorated with a multitude of accolades, reflecting his exceptional talent and dedication to ice hockey.
He is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, having won with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992.
His skill as a scorer is evidenced by his five Art Ross Trophies, earned in 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001.
In 1999, he received the Hart Memorial Trophy, recognizing him as the NHL’s most valuable player.
Jágr’s exceptional performance was further acknowledged with the Lester B. Pearson Award (now known as the Ted Lindsay Award) in 1999, 2000, and 2006.
Internationally, Jágr achieved Olympic glory, winning a gold medal with the Czech Republic in 1998.
This victory, combined with his Stanley Cup wins and two Ice Hockey World Championships (in 2005 and 2010), earned him membership in the prestigious Triple Gold Club.
His contributions to hockey have been formally recognized through inductions into the Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008 and the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2024.
He was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1991, early in his career. Jágr was also honored as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history in 2017.
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