The Pittsburgh Penguins were without Mario Lemieux in 1995, but a young Jaromir Jagr stepped up in a huge way.
In the lockout shortened 1995 NHL season, there seemed to be no doubt that the Pittsburgh Penguins had the greatest player in the world.
That player, however, was not Penguins legend Mario Lemieux, who missed the season with injuries.
Rather, Jaromir Jagr stepped up and became a dominating force in the league.
Jagr got off to an astounding start to the year putting up unreal numbers in the first handful of games.
The season was shortened to just 48 games, and a 22-year-old Jagr played in each on and recorded 70 points for his first Art Ross Trophy.
Jagr joked at the time that once he claimed the spotlight as the best player in the world, he would call it a career.
Now, the year is 2023, Jagr is 51 years old, and he's still playing professional hockey.
Jaromir Jagr faces the prospect of early retirement.
If he maintains an early-season pace that has taken him to the top of the scoring race, his best season in the NHL could also be his last.
That is, if Jagr lives up to his word.
“I told my dad I want to be the best player (in the world) for just a little bit,” Jagr says, “and then I’m going to quit.”
He laughs at the thought.
Jagr has exploded from the blocks this season-scoring 13 goals and 15 assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins piled up 12 wins in their first 13 games-and gone from heartthrob to Hart-throb, but he entertains no illusions of grandeur despite what others think.
“Right now, he’s the best player in the league.” says Penguins’ head coach Eddie Johnston.
“No, I’m not,” Jagr says. “I don’t think so. I wish one day I would be. That’s my dream. You cannot say the best player in the world after 10 games. That’s bad.”
Maybe so, but few dispute Jagr has been the NHL’s player of the quarter-season and is the early favorite for the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.
Does that mean Penguins’ general manager Craig Patrick faces a voluntary retirement to accompany one that may yet be forced upon Mario Lemieux?
“Hopefully he wants to prove it over a long period of time,” Patrick says with a grin. “He’s becoming the best player in the league for sure.”
Everybody on the Penguins agrees-with the notable exception of Jagr.
The dashing fifth-year right winger insists on a reality check. He scoffs at the notion of scoring 48 goals in 48 games-pointing out he has never scored more than 34 in 81 games-and says he is two to three years away from being a legitimate contender for the scoring championship.
“Maybe one day I would think about it-it’s going to happen,” he says, “but not right now I’m not good enough for it. I know I’m not good enough. Now I want to win the Stanley Cup.”
With an NHL record-threatening, 13-game undefeated streak to open the season, the Penguins are strong challengers for their third Cup in five years. (Each of the three other teams to open so successfully have won the Cup.)
And with 28 points in 13 games, Jagr was or pace for 103 points, four more than a career-high 99 points in 80 games last season.
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