Age is just a number: The anatomy of Jaromir Jagr

After scoring his 750th NHL goal Thursday, Jaromir Jagr became the third-ever NHL player to reach that point, joining the company of Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe.

At 44 years and 274 days old, Jagr is the oldest active player in the NHL and the No. 3 scorer in the history of the league. However, he doesn’t see “old” in the way that others do. He has been a driving force for the Florida Panthers and rings true the saying, “age is just a number.” In fact, he has told Sportsnet that he would be happy if he could play until he dies.

“The time between when I quit hockey and die, I want it to be the shortest,” Jagr said. “If I can play till I die, that’s what I’ll do.”

The Czech winger is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He put up 66 points (27 G, 29 A) in 79 games, which is one of the top campaigns from a player 40 years or older in NHL history. Jagr also led the Panthers in scoring in 2015-16 and played a huge role in their postseason run to the Conference Semifinals.

A Career Full of Hardware

Jagr’s journey through the NHL, as well as through the world of professional hockey, has been a notable one. He hoisted the Stanley Cup in his rookie campaign back in 1991 with Pittsburgh and helped the team repeat a season later. He came in sixth for Calder voting after a strong rookie season, where he put up 27 goals and 57 points.

With three 100-plus point seasons, four 60-assist seasons, eight consecutive 30-goal seasons and three Art Ross Trophies over the course of nine years with Pittsburgh, Jagr finally won the Hart trophy in 1999. His fellow players would also reward him with the Lester B. Pearson (now Ted Lindsey) trophy in the same year. He was also an eight-time All-Star, and one of the the top wingers in the game of hockey.

His first Olympic Gold Medal came in 1998 when the Czech Republic defeated Russia 1-0 in the Gold Medal game. That was also the first year that the Winter Olympics would welcome hockey players to join the competition.

Movin’ Out (Jagr’s Song)

After a long tenure in Pittsburgh, Jagr publicly requested a trade from the Penguins, and eventually, they gave in. In July 2011, Pittsburgh traded Jagr, as well as Czech defenseman Frantisek Kucera, to the Capitals in exchange for prospects Kris Beech, Michal Sevik and Ross Lupaschuk.

Jagr, then 29, continued to be a scoring machine and proved to be an asset to the team, but unfortunately only played with them for two seasons before the Capitals traded him to the New York Rangers for right winger Anson Carter.

“To be able to acquire a player of Jaromir’s stature is a rarity in this business,” Glen Sather, former Rangers head coach and general manager, said of the trade.

In each season following Jagr’s trade to Washington, he put up at least 70 points and even came close to another Art Ross after a 123-point campaign in 2005-06. Eventually, however, Jagr wanted to return to Europe to continue his hockey career and left the NHL following the 2007-08 campaign.

Return to the NHL

At 39 years old, Jagr made his long-awaited return to the NHL, signing a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2011-2012. He put up 19 goals and 54 points in his first season back in North America and seemed to have lost a bit of his magic touch.

It was the first year where he didn’t put up at least 20 goals in a season. Nonetheless, he still had a great campaign and proved to have a lot left in him, even at such an old age.

After time between Boston, New Jersey and Dallas, Jagr found his landing spot with the Florida Panthers, where he has put up extraordinary numbers and continuing to hit milestones. He will likely earn more time with Florida given his contributions and is one fo the biggest leaders on and off the ice.

The Anatomy of Jagr

Jagr has gone beyond being just a hockey player. With over 25 NHL campaigns under his belt, he’s a hero of the game. Not to mention, Jagr has become something of an idea. The mullet, the ability to take control of the ice and his unrelenting determination have built Jagr into one of the best to ever skate on NHL ice.

One of the biggest takeaways from Jagr, however, is his personality. He’s a wild, fun-loving spirit, who is also intellectual and has a great intelligence, on and off the ice. Former teammate Kevin Weekes discussed Jagr’s work ethic with Sportsnet Magazine. Weekes recalled how Jagr went the extra mile each morning skate.

Jagr would stay after practice for extra shooting, and then continue to skate after that. At night, Weekes found out that Jagr would return to the rink alone and play by himself.

In 2016, the 44-year-old was awarded the Bill Masterton trophy for his determination and dedication to the game. It’s said that he’s always first to arrive at the rink each morning, as well as the last to leave.

Jagr has become something of the ultimate hockey player; he is determined, a hard worker and gives 100 percent effort each night. There are no days off for him, and slacking is out of the question. When it comes to his ability, it stems from his desire to succeed, as well as control over his game. That kind of control is something that takes years and years of practice.

Analogy to a Machine

Jagr’s work ethic and unrelenting desire to continue his hockey career make him analogous to the perfect machine. It usually starts off with plenty of fuel, and though it can sometimes decline, the machine will last a long time until it finally breaks down and is no longer unable to work. The same can be said for Jagr.

Though he is going on 45, Jagr is by no means slowing down. Sure, in some seasons post-Europe, he didn’t appear to be the old Jagr that raised the Stanley Cup and won three Art Ross trophies, but he still has the great scoring ability. He is a danger on the ice and has turned the direction of the Panthers’ franchise.

Not to mention, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound forward can be a threat along the boards and possesses great control and puck-handling skills. He is also an excellent skater, especially at his age. But again, a double-digit number means nothing to Jagr, unless of course, it kills him.

Looking at Jagr, fans are left with one question: can he continue his NHL success with the clock continuously turning?

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The answer is yes. His determination and self-control give him the mentality to succeed. Those thoughts alone are a huge reason that he can make turn his excellent play into a reality. He will continue scoring and turning heads because that is what he wants to do. The only thing that can stop Jagr is himself.

When all comes down to it, the only thing that can stop Jagr is himself.