Drafted fifth overall in 1990 to what would become a dynastic Pittsburgh Penguins team, even newcomers to the league will know the name Jaromír Jágr predominantly because he last left the NHL at the end of the 2017/18 season. The ageless wonder was always a must-watch skater and continued to score to his final stint in North America.
While his incredible, perhaps unbeatable, NHL records are what cement him as a hockey legend, some people don’t know or have forgotten about the charismatic Czech. Here are four of the best facts to keep in mind whenever the famously mulleted sniper is brought up in conversation.
The creamy peanut butter
In the mid-90s, it was all about getting athletes to endorse products in cheesy commercials, and some even came out with their own. Jágr wasn’t going to skip out on his fandom, so number 68 released his very own peanut butter. The Jágr Creamy Peanut Butter, as remembered by NHL.com, came about because the peanut butter healed his groin injury, apparently.
He has his own licensed game that can still be played
As one of the most popular sports stars of his day, and still a much-loved figure in hockey, it makes sense that a developer would want to team up with Jágr to help promote a new game. This is especially true in the hyper-competitive space of online slots, which is where the Czech still boasts his own game. On the recently updated Bonus.net.nz list, Dream Vegas stands as the top pick with a five-star review and 50 free spins for new players. It’s here that Jágr’s Super Slot stands firmly among the best games there because, quite simply, the other slots don’t feature the NHL legend.
Jágr calls his own number a lot as a team owner
After leaving the Calgary Flames in 2018, Jágr returned home and purchased his hometown club, Rytíři Kladno. In 2021, it was reported by ESPN.com that he guided his club back to the top flight of Czech hockey at the age of 49. This wasn’t to be the end of his player-owner legacy, however. In the midst of the 2022/23 season, at the time of writing, Jágr had posted five goals and 14 points in 24 games. There’s word that the Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping to retire his number soon, but the issue is that he hasn’t yet retired from the sport!
Jágr is one of only 30 to join the Triple Gold Club
In hockey, perhaps the most prestigious selection to be in is the Triple Gold Club. To be featured, you need to win an Olympic gold medal, the World Championship, and the Stanley Cup at least once. In 1998, Jágr remarkably helped to steer European minnows the Czech Republic to the gold medal six years after getting his second Stanley Cup. Much later, in 2005, he’d help his nation to another unlikely crown, the World Championship, and won the tournament again in 2010 for good measure.
Jaromír Jágr will always be a legend of hockey, forged far beyond his incredible achievements on the ice. Now, his next goal looks to be to take the club that he owns to the top of European hockey. Maybe one day, he’ll get involved in the NHL again.
