New Jersey Devils D-man Dougie Hamilton played with NHL legend Jaromir Jagr. He and Sheldon Keefe discuss the similarities between Jagr and quarterback Philip Rivers, who came out of retirement.
Everyone loves a comeback story. But if what is being speculated transpires this weekend, it just might rival an NHL and hockey legend.
That age, by the way, is 44, and the player is Philip Rivers. The 17-year NFL quarterback stepped out of retirement this week to join the quarterback-needy Indianapolis Colts. While he's presently signed to the practice squad, Colts coach Shane Steichen has yet to commit to his starting quarterback this weekend and could decide to elevate the veteran signal-caller to start his first game since retiring from the NFL in 2021.
As you might expect, the story has captured human interest and stretched far beyond the sports circuit. Should Rivers be under center this weekend when the Colts visit the Seattle Seahawks, he'll do so with plenty of eyeballs on him and seemingly everyone rooting for the story of a guy that sounded part-humble veteran and part-excited kid, twenty years his junior.
While the circumstances aren't quite the same, hockey knows a thing or two about this kind of story.
At age 53, Jaromir Jagr, the Czech superstar who dominated the NHL for much of the 1990s, still suits up for Rytiri Kladno – the club he co-owns in Czechia's highest professional league, the Czech Extraliga.
Jagr left the NHL after the 2007-08 season to play in the KHL. After three seasons, he returned to the NHL at 39 years old in 2011-12. He kept playing in the NHL until he was 45.
What's apparent from Rivers in his media availability earlier this week and from canvassing a former teammate of Jagr is an undeniable love for the game.
"Love of the game would just be the biggest thing," said Dougie Hamilton, who played with Jagr for parts of two seasons in the NHL, including Jagr's last NHL game as a member of the Calgary Flames in 2017.
"To be able to do it, playing and all of the other stuff around playing for so long," Hamilton said. "Hockey is his love. I always when I played with him, I just appreciated so much how much he loved hockey and trying to get better and the process of everything. He was always doing little things to try and get better."
Now from Rivers:
"They wanted me," said Rivers. "I try to keep it as simple as that. A game that I love to play, a game that I thought I was done playing, certainly. I wasn't hanging onto any hope of really playing again. I kind of thought that ship had sailed, but something about it excited me."
While the final season of Jagr going for it in the NHL was brief – 22 games and one goal with the Flames before departing mid-season to return home – his production 40-plus remains notable, with 107 goals and 283 points in 412 games. That's just under 15 percent of his 1,921 career points.
The golden years of his career also included a trip to the Stanley Cup final in 2013 with the Bruins and rookie 19-year-old Hamilton.
"Definitely as a kid, it's pretty exciting to be able to play with guys like that," said Hamilton. "Watch them, see what they do. They're trying to get better still when they're already the best in the world."
Both Hamilton and New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe noted the boost a club can get in these types of spots. And, while Keefe and Jagr's paths might not have crossed on the same club, he brought up ample examples of the effect in sports.
"We had Mark Giordano as well in Toronto," said Keefe. "Way back when, in my playing days, I played with Dave Andreychuk in Tampa. Those guys – their energy, their love of the game. Usually for guys that do it that long, and for this case, Rivers coming back, (it) shows how much they love it, and usually, those guys bring a lot in terms of their habits and the energy and personality – all those sorts of things. Without that, there's no chance you have what it takes – or the willingness even to stay with it and wisdom, too.
"The passion and energy for the game is certainly the common denominator."
Rivers will see how things play out in the next 48 hours, but he could very well add to his illustrious career.
Jagr, meanwhile, has dressed for four games this season with Kladno, registering one assist in his last outing on Oct. 31. Should Rivers appear in Sunday's contest or any moving forward, it will reset his five-year eligibility into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Likewise, Jagr, or rather the Hockey Hall of Fame, is awaiting the final game of No. 68 to begin his three-year window.
Whenever the time comes, he's a lock to be inducted at the first opportunity.
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