The Pittsburgh Penguins announced on Friday that on February 18 against the visiting Los Angeles Kings, they will be officially retiring Jaromir Jagr’s number 68, raising it to the rafters as part of a pre-game celebration.
There had been talks for several seasons that Jagr should have his number retired in Pittsburgh and the long-overdue jersey retirement for the icon is only a few months away now.
Over the span of 24 NHL seasons, split between nine different teams, Jagr recorded 766 goals, which ranks fourth all-time, and 1921 points — placing him behind Wayne Gretzky for the most points in NHL history. The icon was drafted by the Penguins fifth overall in 1990 and spent his first 11 seasons in Pittsburgh. In addition to the pair of Stanley Cup titles (1991,1992), Jagr racked up 439 goals and 1,079 points with the Penguins.
The famous number 68 also collected a ton of hardware throughout his career, winning two Stanley Cups, five Art Ross Trophies, one Hart Trophy, three Lester B. Pearson Trophies and a Bill Masterson Trophy.
There is no doubt that Jagr is one of the greatest hockey players of all time. He last played in the NHL during the 2017-18 season with the Calgary Flames at the age of 45, making him the third oldest NHL player in league history.
Jagr is currently the owner of Rytiri Kladno of the Czech Extraliga and has been the majority owner of the team since 2011-12. He still plays for the club as he announced in September that he would once again suit up at the pro-level, playing a seventh straight season for his Knights.
The ageless wonder will be celebrated in Pittsburgh and fans cannot wait. Those in attendance will get a replica Jagr 68 banner on the special night.
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