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Jaromir Jagr is 51 years old and about to suit up for Kladno in the Czech Extraliga again

By Chris Cerullo

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September 16, 2023 12:23 pm

Jaromir Jagr is ready to suit up for the 35th season in his professional hockey career.

Jagr, the owner of Kladno in the Czech Extraliga, posted on his social media profiles on Saturday that he’s “looking forward to hockey” as Kladno opens the home portion of their schedule against HC Dynamo Pardubice on Sunday.

Jagr will make his season debut this season quite a bit earlier than he did last year. The then 50 year old only laced up his skates last December after his locker room was plagued by illness, and forced to postpone a game.

Jagr writes on Instagram:

Hello ⭐️. Another hockey season has begun. I just read that I played extraliga for Kladno for the first time 35 years ago. It’s been a minute. But the nervousness, the anticipation before the start… This is still the same. For the first time in our home at ČEZ stadium tomorrow against the strong Pardubice. I am looking forward to hockey and the pre-match program that @kauflandcesko and I have prepared. Among other things, Olga Lounová will perform before the match. He has a nice song about being an eternal optimist. I think we could all use a little optimism for the season. I believe it will be better than the previous one. And what about you? How are you looking forward to hockey?

Kladno lost their opening matchup of the season on the road to HC Olomouc 1-0 so the NHL legend is bringing in the big guns, himself, to turn things around. Jagr ended up playing in 26 total games for Kladno last season, posting 14 points (5g, 9a). He was the team’s eighth-highest scorer despite playing about half the games of the other players on the roster.

Jagr will have a hard time besting his debut from last year. He jumped onto the ice and immediately posted two assists in Kladno’s 7-3 loss to Liberec.

This will be Jagr’s seventh season with Kladno since he departed the NHL part way through the 2017-18 campaign.

If he does indeed suit up on Sunday, Jagr would postpone his Hockey Hall of Fame induction again, this time until 2027. With a 24-year career in the NHL where he recorded 1,921 points (766g, 1155a), won two Stanley Cups, and led the league in scoring five times, there’s no doubt he’ll be going into the Hall at the first opportunity.

Jagr may want to play yet another season though as if he does, he’ll match the legendary Gordie Howe in terms of age at their retirements. Mr. Hockey was 52 years old when he played his last NHL game for the Hartford Whalers. However, Howe also did skate one game for the IHL’s Detroit Vipers in 1997 at 69 years of age.

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