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Jaromir Jagr

NHL, the National Hockey League is a premier professional North American Sports League played in indoor stadiums. It’s divided into two conferences, each comprising of three divisions of ice hockey teams.

Jaromir was born on February 15, 1972, in Kladno, Czech Republic. With a height of 6 foot 3 inches and weighing 245 pounds, he makes the right winger tough to knock around, while his incredible touch, speed and creativity combine brilliantly to make him an almost unstoppable offensive force. Jagr grew up in Kladno, Czechoslovakia, where he played for his hometown team and his size and skill began to garner the attention of scouts. After scoring 59 points in 51 games in 1989-90, he was chosen to play for the Czechoslovakian team at the 1990 World Junior Championships in Finland. He was the star of the tournament, netting 18 points in only seven games as Czechoslovakia skated to the bronze medal.

In the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins, who already had an established franchise player in Mario Lemieux, could afford to take a gamble, and they chose Jagr fifth overall. It was an astute move, as the Penguins got their man much sooner than expected. The Eastern Bloc dissolved that summer and Jagr, suddenly free to move once Kladno released him, arrived in the United States as an 18-year-old rookie. As a symbol of his pride in his country, Jagr chose to wear Number 68, it represented the year of the Prague Spring, a short-lived surge of social reform in 1968 that was cut short when Soviet tanks rolled into Wenceslas Square.

Jagr did not immediately set the NHL on fire with his offensive skills. Over a four-week span early in 1990-91, he managed only 1 point and 12 shots on goal in 15 games. He was homesick, and his sense of isolation was compounded by his shaky grasp of English. With no one to talk to, his depression soon affected his game Jagr, usually an outgoing and energetic player on the ice, became despondent and quiet.

Jagr was a powerful skater with a lethal shot who back-checked responsibly and played the game cleanly. He, with all his dedication and devotion in his play has achieved many goals in his overall hockey-playing career. He had the ability of defeating the opponent easily by giving some extra hard work and efforts.

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