Jaromir Jagr continues to defy aging at the age of 52. On Wednesday, the legendary hockey player began his 37th professional campaign by taking the ice for his co-owned Czech Extraliga team, Rytiri Kladno. Jagr wasted little time getting his feet wet in his first game of the season, contributing a primary assist on his team's lone goal in a 5-1 loss to Dynamo Pardubice.
The rules stipulate that players must be inactive for a certain amount of time prior to being eligible for the Hall of Fame, so the assist he recorded now pushes his eligibility until 2028 at the latest. Jagr is probably not bothered by this requirement because he is more focused on playing hockey.
In 1990, Jagr was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the fifth overall first round pick, placing the then-unknown Czech teenager on a team that included Pens superstar center Mario Lemieux.
Eight-time All-Star Jaromir Jagr has won the Art Ross Trophy five times as the league's top scorer. He has also won two Stanley Cups and the MVP award for the 1998-1999 campaign. Currently holding the record for the most game-winning goals (135), he leads all players in assists (1,155), goals (766), and overall points (1,921).