Penguins' Stars Welcome Jaromir Jagr to Lineup
The Pittsburgh Penguins had a great time with a legend on the ice.
PITTSBURGH – It’s a special weekend for the Pittsburgh Penguins organization as a franchise icon has returned to see his jersey immortalized by the organization. Jaromir Jagr will have his famous number 68 retired by the Penguins in a ceremony before their contest against the Los Angeles Kings.
Part of the celebration involved Jagr taking practice with the current Penguins roster and skating alongside fellow franchise legends like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Professional hockey practice is nothing new for Jagr, and that’s not counting the 24 years he spent in the NHL.
At 52, Jagr is still playing professional hockey in his native Czechia. Seeing him take the ice with the Penguins was special for the players and fans who all grew up watching and idolizing him.
“We know how good he is, but I’m surprised he’s still skating pretty well,” Malkin said. “Growing up I watched how he played.”
Considering Jagr is still playing and didn’t look entirely out of place alongside Crosby and Malkin, it’s fair to dream about what kind of impact he may have on the current roster.
“I don’t think any of us would turn that opportunity down,” Crosby said. “You’d have to ask him if he wants to do that.”
The Penguins could use serious help on the power play, and from what was seen at the practice, Jagr still has a lethal shot. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was on the losing end of quite a few shots from Jagr,
“That’s what legends do; they find a way to score,” Nedeljkovic said. “He can still let it fly… I wish I would have known we were doing breakaways, though. I maybe wouldn’t have bit so hard on some of the fakes.”
The Penguins are the oldest team in the NHL, and adding a 52-year-old surely doesn’t add to the youth, but there is still some fun to be had with adding another legend to the lineup.
“Now we’re older team,” Malkin said. “Maybe now it’s time.”
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