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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they are retiring Jaromir Jagr’s No. 68 jersey on Feb. 18.
“Pittsburgh, I’m coming home,” Jagr said in a video posted on social media.
Jagr, 51, played 1,733 career regular-season games in the NHL over 24 seasons. He ranks fourth all-time in games played and goals (766) and fifth in assists (1,155), and only Wayne Gretzky (2,857) has recorded more points than Jagr, who has 1,921. No player in NHL history has more game-winning goals than Jagr’s 135.
Jagr became a star with the Penguins over 11 seasons, winning the Stanley Cup twice and posting 1,079 points in 806 games.
But his time with the Penguins ended awkwardly in 2001 when they traded him to the Washington Capitals to enter a rebuild. In 2011, there was more acrimony between the team and Jagr when he expressed interest in playing for Pittsburgh only to reject their offer in favor of the rival Philadelphia Flyers. Fans booed Jagr upon his return to Pittsburgh while with Philadelphia.
Jagr last played in the NHL in 2017-18 with the Calgary Flames. Since then, he had been playing for the Kladno Knights, the Czech league team that he owns.
He had told members of the Penguins in recent years that he would be open to a number retirement after his playing days ended. Jagr last played for Kladno in the 2022-23 season but is still considered an active player for them.
The Penguins will raise Jagr’s banner as part of a “Celebrate 68” festival. Fans at the Feb. 18 banner raising, the day they play the Los Angeles Kings will get a replica Jagr No. 68 banner. Fans in attendance March 14 against the San Jose Sharks will get a commemorative Jagr bobblehead.
Only Michel Briere’s No. 21 and Mario Lemieux’s No. 66 have been retired by the Penguins, along with Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99, which was retired leaguewide.