Jaromir Jagr announces retirement from Czech National team

After eight appearances at the World Championships and five at the Olympic games, Jaromir Jagr has decided to hang his skates up for good as a member of the Czech Republic National team.

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Following a loss to Sweden in the bronze medal game at the 2014 IIHF World Championships in Belarus, Jagr declared that it was time for him to step away from the squad.

Rich Chere of The Star-Ledger passed along the report:

“When I count the last two years, I think I’ve played the most games of any hockey player in the world. I’m not 21 anymore,” Jagr said.

“On the other side, I don’t mind playing. I don’t get tired. I took a chance. I knew it was going to be tough for me to come from the small ice to go on the big ice. I know it’s join to help me next year.”

Jagr will continue to play in the National Hockey League after signing a one-year deal to remain a member of the New Jersey devils through the 2014-15 season.

He ends his tenure with the Czech team having won both a bronze medal at the 2006 Olympics and gold back in 1998.

Jagr won’t go out with an extra medal to add to his collection, but as he points out to Chere, the youth and inexperience of his fellow teammates probably had something to do with it.

“I think the biggest difference was we has six or seven guys on defense who played the first time ever at the world championships. They’re all young and they don’t have much experience. The level is totally different,” Jagr added.

“It doesn’t matter you do in any leagues, there is a different level in the world championships. And there are other level likes the Stanley Cup. Everybody has too go through this and I think that was our biggest problem. You can’t tell those guys anything. They’re young and they’re still learning.”

There may not be long to go in Jagr’s hockey career, but in a year where he’s been to the 2013 Stanley Cup final, played a full season for the Devils and participated in both the Sochi Olympics in Russia and the World Hockey Championships, at least he’s going out in style.