Jaromir Jagr
Czech legend and NHL all-time scoring leader among European players.
Jaromír Jágr (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjaromiːr ˈjaːɡr̩] ; born 15 February 1972) is a Czech professional ice hockey player who is a right winger and owner of Rytíři Kladno of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames, serving as captain of the Penguins from 1998 to 2001 and the Rangers between 2006 and 2008.
Quick Facts
- Character
- Elite Center/Right Wing
- Affiliation
- Washington Capitals (2001–2004)
- Status
- Franchise Icon; Retired Legend
- Key achievement
- Led franchise in points during his tenure
- Role
- Offensive Engine
Lore & Background
Jágr was the fifth overall selection in the 1990 NHL entry draft. He won consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1991 and 1992 seasons with the Penguins. Individually, he has won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL scoring champion five times (four times in a row), the Lester B. Pearson Award for the NHL's outstanding player as voted by the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) three times, and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player once, in 1999, while finishing second four times.
Jágr is a member of the Triple Gold Club, individuals who have played for teams that have won the Stanley Cup (1991, 1992), the Ice Hockey World Championships (2005, 2010) and the Olympic gold medal in ice hockey (1998). Jágr is one of only two Czech players (the other being Jiří Šlégr) in the club, achieving this feat in 2005. Jágr was the Czech Republic's flag bearer at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Jágr is also one of only three players from 1981 to 2001 to win the Art Ross Trophy as the leading point-scorer during the regular season; the others are Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
Jágr has won the award more times than any other non-Canadian player. He has been a member of the Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame since 2008 and the IIHF Hall of Fame since 2024.
Reader's Guide
Jágr has the second-most points in NHL history, after Wayne Gretzky. Until his transfer, at age 45, he was the oldest player in the NHL and is the oldest player to record a hat-trick. In 2017, Jágr was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history. Having played in 37 professional seasons (as of 2024) and over 2,000 professional games, Jágr has had the longest playing career in professional ice hockey history. He is the most productive European player who has ever played in the NHL and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever.
Did You Know?
- Jágr was the first Czechoslovak player to be drafted by the NHL without having to defect to the West.
- He was one of the youngest players in NHL history, at age 20, to score a goal in the Stanley Cup Final.
- Jágr's no. 68 jersey was retired by the Pittsburgh Penguins on 18 February 2024.
- He signed the then-largest contract in NHL history at $77 million over seven years with the Washington Capitals in 2001.
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