Jagr Watch 2017

[Three Stars]

Were you one of his teammates?

It's a matter of public record that he was moody during the latter stages of his Penguin career, and it only worsened the last year. He demanded to be traded directly to Craig Patrick saying "You don't understand, I don't want to be here".

[penny lane]

Were you one of his teammates?

It's a matter of public record that he was moody during the latter stages of his Penguin career, and it only worsened the last year. He demanded to be traded directly to Craig Patrick saying "You don't understand, I don't want to be here".

Yet you wonder why Mario would be involved in having Jaromir associated with the team...with the
legacy / ceremony even before returning to the team.

[Factorial]

Trade Jagr NOW, the bum.

[sil]

Trade Jagr NOW, the bum.

Jagorikarovsky.

[Pens15]

Were you one of his teammates?

It's a matter of public record that he was moody during the latter stages of his Penguin career, and it only worsened the last year. He demanded to be traded directly to Craig Patrick saying "You don't understand, I don't want to be here".

That's all hearsay. But even if he did, so what? Maybe he had his reasons? The way people hold grudges for stuff like this is insane. Especially against a guy who gave the fans so many great memories.

[Lesky]

Madden: Jagr wouldn't mind ending his career as a Pen
by cojac on Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:23 am

On his show today he said the following: At Saturday's game Mark Madden had a conversation with Jaromir Jagr. Jagr reportedly said "I'm going to play at least one more year after this season, maybe i'll finish my career up in Pittsburgh. I love it here, I still own my house here, it only seems fitting" When asked about being booed every time he touched the puck Jagr said with a smile, "I know they don't mean it"

[André]

About his play in the WC´s:

I was not blown away but definitely impressed. I saw what to me was the fourth version of Jagr.

First version, say 90-94, was when he was scrawny but fast as few. He was quickly becoming a star but hadn´t reached his full capacity. Second version was 95-01, his prime years which combined the strengths from "Jagr one" but after bulking up. He was unstoppable. Breakaways were automatic goals. Below average lines mates were enough, he did it all on his own. "Jagr two" is in my opinon among the most dominant players hockey has ever seen. Third version was 01-06. He lost speed, got even bigger and added the slapper. His most inspired year during this period was still good for ~120 points and 50 goals. The Art Ross lost in the final round. More dependant on PP and linemates than before, however. And don´t forget his 15 points in 10 playoff games as late as spring 08.

Fourth version is what I´ve seen in these last two WCs only. Top speed still ok but he´s not very quick at all. The shot is great but not deadly and he can´t do it all on his own, but was most dangerous down low during plays of long pressure in the offensive zone, on the PP or when he got the puck with space to accelerate through the neutral zone. Still a deadly playmaker however, and strong on the puck with his size and reach. Great on the PP both as setup man and as finisher. Creative in moving around to find good positions. He was better this year than last year. Also, I think he´d be better off on the smaller surface.

I´d absolutely love it if he signed for one year and played like 15 min per game with say 90 secs per PP. He´d open up space for Sid and Geno and he´d convert on the space they´d give him. He´s still deadly if his company can open things up, which would happen frequently on the Pens.

I really like this summary.

However I think the first years with the Capitals would have been on version 2 if he had played with the Penguins these years. It appears the Caps ruined him as he was a beast
with the Rangers!

Yeah. And the slapper came when he was with the Rangers. Make the Caps Jagr Jagr 2.5 then

[Malkamaniac]

Like I said before you have one PP with Sid and the net crashers, and the second PP with Malkin and Jagr doing the 1990s style rope-a-dope PP.

Then when both PP's fail, yinzer city will freak out say they all should be on the ice together.

[jprolley]

Trade Jagr NOW, the bum.

Jagorikarovsky.

Nealkarjagrovsky

[canaan]

Trade Jagr NOW, the bum.

Jagorikarovsky.

best post ive read all day.

[PenguinSteve-o]

PP unit #1
Jagr, Tangradi, Crosby
Letang, Malkin

[AlexPKeaton]

PP unit #1
Jagr, Tangradi, Crosby
Letang, Malkin

Tangradi has a lot to prove in the NHL before I put him on the #1 PP.

[yubb]

Our #1 PP has a lot more to prove in the NHL before I put it on the #1 PP.

[HockeyDaddy]

The "Crosby Skates" thread is getting jealous.

[KG]

This is fun to talk about and speculate...I will say that if he does decide to come back to the NHL. I hope it's with the Pens...

[sprtn55]

When does everyone expect Jagr to decide and be signed? Everything sure seems to be moving rather quickly.

[SolidSnake]

The "Crosby Skates" thread is getting jealous.

[youtube][/youtube]

[Pens4Life87]

Nothing rhymes with Jaromir Jagr.

Cant Sign him.

[PenguinSteve-o]

Nothing rhymes with Jaromir Jagr.

Cant Sign him.

but the drawn out announcement of his name after a goal is perfect.

His 1st of the season, goal scored by #68, Jarrroommmmiiirrrrrr, Jaaaagggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[sprtn55]

More from @Real_ESPNLeBrun

My favorite quote from Jagr regarding Pittsburgh: ''I still have a house there. I was too lazy to sell it,'' he said laughing

Just chatted with Jagr. He still hasn't made a decision and doesn't know how long it's going to take. Said great things about Pitt and Det

[PenguinSteve-o]

[BigMcK]

Lemieux has Robert Lang on the phone looking for Jagr?

Who is on the phone looking for Kip Miller?

Jagr-Lang-Miller

Now that was a line for other teams to worry about.

[darkstar57]

PP unit #1
Jagr, Tangradi, Crosby
Letang, Malkin

I enjoy how people forget Kunitz is still here, Kunitz makes some great plays in front of the net, he might not be a big body, but does a very good job and screening the goalie and has soft hands for tips.

[Lesky]

As so many people are bashing Jagr for the way he left the Penguins in 2001, I felt it was approriate to post his response

----

Jagr: I was sad when Pittsburgh traded me

http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... tning-rod/

The Pittsburgh media wanted to hear Jagrs take on returning to Pittsburgh, the team he left under unhappy circumstances in 2001. He looked relaxed and wanted to explain the circumstances from that time, why he asked to be traded, a move the Penguins fans have interpreted as betrayal.

“We went through the tough times with bankruptcy and the team didnt have a lot of money, Jagr said. “Marty Straka, Robert Lang, Alex Kovalev were free agents, all three of them. We werent going to be able to sign all of them. I thought, its going to be a lot easier for a team to trade one guy than let go three guys. Thats why I made the step. Its going to be easier for the organization. If they lost all three of them, I didnt think it was going to be good for the team.

Jagr did not try to defend his actions at the time and he said when he did talk, he struggled to express his feelings in English.
He emphatically denied one of the impressions people had, that he did not want to play again with Mario Lemieux when he came back after his first retirement that year. Lemieux was Jagrs boyhood idol, the leader of the team that won Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.

“Without him, I wouldnt be playing right now, Jagr said. “I learned everything from him. I am going to still respect him until I die. You have respect the players, the teachers that you learned from. Without him, without being drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, without seeing him play, who knows where I would be? Maybe I wouldnt play hockey at all.

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/stor" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ockey/home

Pittsburgh fans have long memories. They remember his lament during that final season that he was "dying alive" in Pittsburgh and they still seethe.

Jagr, though, tried to rebuild a bridge to the fans Friday morning after the Rangers' game-day skate in preparation for the opener of their Eastern Conference semi-final against the Penguins. He said the real reason he wanted the trade was to allow the cash-strapped Penguins to sign three other stars and some of the things he said to precipitate the deal with the Washington Capitals were youthful folly combined with his struggles to speak English after arriving from the Czech Republic.

"It happened eight years ago and nobody knew the truth," Jagr said. "Yes I did, I told [general manager] Craig Patrick I wanted to be traded. But this is the real reason I did it.. I was sad when they traded me.

"Maybe I could have pushed them to find the money or maybe get the new arena. But when you are a young player you don't think like a businessman. You don't understand how tough it is to make money."

In the 2000-01 season, the Penguins had just come through their second bout of bankruptcy. They only remained in Pittsburgh because Mario Lemieux found the financing to take over the team and later that season he came out of retirement, in part because the team desperately needed a gate attraction to stay solvent.

By then, however, Jagr was in a long public sulk. He fought with his coaches and teammates and the media.

Now, he says, looking back with the wisdom of 36-year-old eyes, it was all done to keep forwards Alexei Kovalev, Martin Straka and Robert Lang in Penguins uniforms. All three were set to become free agents at the end of the 2000-01 season and Jagr said he knew the team needed them more than him. After Lemieux made his comeback halfway through the season, Jagr said the team could afford to lose him.

"It was impossible to sign all of them but if we didn't sign them, we didn't have a chance to do anything," Jagr said. "I thought it would be a lot easier for the team to trade one guy than [get rid of] three guys.

"I just wanted to make it easier for the team plus there was no reason to keep me when Mario came back. I thought it was going to be good for the team."

That is where Jagr's explanation gets a little thin. Thanks to Lemieux's comeback, the Penguins did advance to the 2001 Eastern Conference final, which made them a little more stable financially. They did manage to sign Kovalev, Straka and Lang but this did not bring much success.

The Penguins failed to make the playoffs for the next four seasons and fell to the bottom of the league. Lang stuck around for one more season, Kovalev for two and Straka for three. Straka is now Jagr's centre on the Rangers and it may be more than coincidence that Jagr is playing his best hockey in years.

"Some comments were made," Jagr said of his departure in the summer of 2001. "You've got to understand, English is not my first language. I was kind of reacting to my situation when I was in Pittsburgh, with the coach [Ivan Hlinka]. It was before Mario came back from retirement and we played together.

"The coach tried to put three guys together. They were great guys, no question it was good line with Lang, Straka and Kovalev."

The problem was. Jagr said, that left no centre on the team good enough to play with him. At least not until Lemieux came back.

"There was no one else left on the team, and a lot of guys expected me to have the same numbers, the same goals," he said. "It's impossible when you don't have a set-up man. Everything changed when Mario came back. I scored a lot of goals because of him."

By the time Jagr left, his relationship with Lemieux was stretched thin. But, he says, he will always have great admiration for Lemieux.

"Without him, I wouldn't be playing right now," Jagr said. "I learned everything from him. I'm still going to respect him until I die."

[sprtn55]

I remember those comments during the playoff series vs. the Rangers. KDKA's site had the raw footage of the interview in the locker room. I will see if I can find it and post.