Should fans be concerned that the Penguins playoff streak may be broken this year? There seems to be no doubt that the Pittsburgh Penguins will one day retire Jaromir Jagr’s No. 68 honoring one of the greatest players in franchise history. The relationship between Jagr and the Penguins has been rocky at times, but time has healed all wounds and there seems to be good communication in the year 2023. With mended fences between the two sides, fans have begun wondering not if, but when will the number retirement happen? According to Phil Bourque on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, there were plans for April of 2023 but there was just one problem; Jagr still hasn’t retired from playing hockey. At the age of 50, Jagr is still playing professional hockey for the team he owns in his home country of Czechia. Bourque said that once Jagr officially retires from playing, he will be all for whatever the Penguins have planned. Jagr does, however, have a dream scenario for how he would announce his retirement and come back to Pittsburgh for a ceremony in his honor. The NHL recently made their Global Series more prominent and in 2022, had a game played in Prague. Jagr was on hand for a game between the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators and he had a ceremony puck drop before face off. In Jagr’s plan, the Penguins are involved in the next Global Series to take place in Czechia, where he would announce his official retirement from the game with his first NHL team on hand. Following the series and official retirement, Jagr would follow the team back to the states so a proper ceremony and number retiring can take place. If the NHL can get on board with this idea, there isn’t a more perfect way to honor one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Over his 24-year career in the NHL, Jagr accumulated 1,921 points (766G-1,155A) good for second all time behind only Wayne Gretzky. 1,079 of those points (439G-640A) came with the Penguins, along with numerous awards and accolades. Most importantly, however, it was with the Penguins that Jagr won his only two Stanley Cups. Jagr deserves every bit of recognition he gets; the moment he retires from playing you can expect not only the Penguins but the Hockey Hall of Fame to be making a call. When the Penguins retire Jagr’s number, it will be the organizations third to hang from the rafters. Jagr’s 68 would join Michel Briere’s 21 and Mario Lemieux’s iconic 66. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Penguins Should Look to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for Solutions [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-look-wilkes-barre-scranton-solutions] The Penguins Should Move Jake Guentzel [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-should-move-jake-guentzel] Losing Streaks Dangerous for Penguins in Strong Metro Division [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/losing-streaks-dangerous-pittsburgh-penguins-strong-metropolitan] Another Losing Streak Leaves Penguins Frustrated [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/another-losting-streak-pittsburgh-penguins-frustrated] Penguins Show Great Confidence in Ty Smith [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-great-confidence-ty-smith] * undefined * undefined
