‘A miracle would have to happen’: Jaromir Jagr finally appears to be stepping back from playing professional hockey

With Jaromir Jagr, you can never say never. But as of now, it appears that his playing career may actually be over or, at the very least, the closest it’s ever been to the actual end.

While the Czech superstar recently took part in Zdeno Chara’s retirement game earlier in the month, and rumors on social media suggest he may be about to start his 39th year pro, Jagr has not been participating in the Kladno Knights’ training camp (Rytíři Kladno). He also has not played in any of the team’s first three preseason games — a turnaround from last year, when he did both at age 53.

Kladno’s games in the preseason

While Jagr has not formally announced his retirement — Kladno’s official A-team roster still currently lists him among the forwards, but without a bio photo — Czech reporting has increasingly pointed to his competitive career being wrapped up.

iSport recently wrote on August 25 of Jagr, as translated by Google Translate:

This February, he spoke about the fact that fans would probably never see him on the ice again. “It would have to be a miracle,” said Jaromír Jagr. But you never know with a fifty-four-year-old matador. The legend continues to train regularly, and he introduced himself to the audience at the Zdena Chára exhibition in Trenčín. Jágr last played a competitive match before Christmas in Liberec. The fact that Kladno has a more established lineup than in previous years speaks against his return. The roster currently has sixteen names on the attack, so there is room to turn to even in the event of an injury.

Jagr’s most definitive comments about where his career currently sits came during a live Q&A on his own Instagram account on February 20.

“The fans won’t see me anymore,” Jagr was transcribed as saying by Hokej.cz. “A miracle would have to happen. God would have to enter me and make me fifteen years younger. I go skating occasionally… I’m still keeping myself in shape, but I’m not training as if I were going to play.”

His agent, Jaroslav Zidek, also previously said that the 2024-25 season would be Jagr’s last before the winger reversed course last summer.

If this is indeed the end, Jagr’s final competitive game came on December 21, 2025, when Kladno lost 4–1 to Bílí Tygři Liberec at Home Credit Arena. Jagr did not register a point in the game, receiving 7:38 of ice time, including 2:16 on the power play. He took a two-minute penalty for hooking at 1:29 of the second period.

Jagr finished his 38th pro season with one assist.

Jaromir Jagr’s stats during 2025-26 season with Kladno

His only point of the season, potentially his last, came on October 31, 2025, in Kladno’s 8–3 loss at Dynamo Pardubice, when he assisted on Adam Bareš’s power-play goal. Jagr’s apple helped make the score 3–1.

Another factor in Jagr’s decision-making may be due to changes in his off-ice role with the team. While he still has an ownership stake in Kladno, he is no longer the majority owner. In early 2025, Jagr sold an 80 percent stake in the team to businessman Tomáš Drastil, leaving him with the remaining 20%. Kladno’s leadership page lists both as club owners.

Jagr, now 54, has played 38 seasons during his professional career, currently boasting a staggering 2,397 regular-season points — 961 goals and 1,436 assists — in 2,255 games across the NHL, Czech/Czechoslovak leagues, KHL/Russian Superleague, and other brief stops elsewhere in Europe. If Jagr does not suit up in another game, he can be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame after the conclusion of the 2028-29 season at age 57.

Jaromir Jagr’s 38 professional seasons