Jagr Watch 2017

[Big Easy Pens Fan]

Is Jagr done? Cut from Calgary.

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2018/01/07/jar ... -friedman/

BEPF

[SubtropicalPenguin]

Jagr cleared waivers and is off to HC Kladno (the Czech team he owns). It looks like a near certainty that his career is the NHL is finished. Unfortunately, he is not eligible for the Olympics, which is too bad... I would have loved to watch him compete one last time. While there was much acrimony about the way he left town, his impact on the Pens and on the NHL cannot be denied. I hope the Pens retire his number when the time comes.

https://www.tsn.ca/jagr-clears-waivers-rejoins-hc-kladno-1.981564

[BB]

Hello all,
I just want give a big Jaromir goal scoring salute to Tomas, Lesky, and all on this thread who greatly appreciate The Great 68. From the glory of the Cup years (many games as a western PA-living Pens fans from the Randy Carlyle/Paul Gardner days) through the Nagano Gold (of which the Czech-Russia group game and the semi against Canada I was able to see in person, the latter front row second level above Hasek as he stonewalled the Canadian stars one by one). I have lived in Japan since around then, so soon after that, went to the Pens games in Tokyo against Nashville for the season opening (JJ plus the great KLS line). I watched him on a TV talk show here (wish I’d recorded, not sure if it’s on YT). He enjoyed it, because they ended up talking more about Czech then hockey. Just watched from afar for a while (catching Pens games when back, but not JJ) until the year before last, when I did a Euro trip and stopped by Kladno, stayed a night, checked the town out, and caught a Rytiri game, at which, because it was late August, the man was still there training during the day and watching his team from his box, right by the crowd. I didn’t fanboy, but just enjoyed the game and the superb hot dogs and Krusovice with my friend (also named Tomas). Great times. Later in the season while back visiting my family in Colorado, I caught the Panthers-Avs, and got see him tie Gordie Howe for second(third?, but now second) on the all-time points list.
Anyway, I write this as I head for Korea to watch some Olympic hockey with my Nagano Czech jersey (with the big CZECH on the bottom) in bag. Canada-Czech ticketed, along with US-Slovakia and US-Russia. Might be able to get in Czech-Switzerland too. A shame no JJ, but he’s now a Knight and his 68 will be hanging in the rafters in Pittsburgh (a town similar to Kladno) in the not-too-distant future.
Thanks for reading and let’s keep this thread rolling on.
Na zdraví

[Lesky]

Is the Pittsburgh Penguins organisation warming the fans for the inevitable retiring of #68 and putting him along with #66 in the rafters?