Jaromir Jagr to make 2023-24 season debut at 51 years old
Delay the Hall of Fame announcement for another year.
Jaromir Jagr is set to make his 2023-24 professional hockey season debut with the club he owns, Rytíři Kladno, in their game against Pardubice today.
With this, Jagr’s Hockey Hall of Fame eligiblity will slide to 2027.
Jaromir Jagr is in the @RytiriKladno lineup tonight. 👀
HHOF induction postponed yet another year.@reporterchris @frank_seravalli https://t.co/5VSFwP5Tp9
Jagr will line up on the second line beside former New Jersey Devils prospect Jaromir Pytlik and long-time Czech-league forward Jakub Strnad.
Jagr has often joined Kladno when they’re in danger of falling into the relegation cycle. They’re currently 13th among 14 teams in the top Czech league, six points ahead of Mlada Boleslav in last. Kladno has lost its last two games in extra time, with just one win since the start of November. Kladno has just four wins all season long, so they can use all the help they can get on the scoresheet.
Kladno has some other NHL connections to it, too. Tomas Plekanec spent the past four years with the club before electing to retire due to injuries after nine games this year. Michael Frolik, who had 384 points in 858 games over 13 NHL seasons, has four points in 19 games with the club. Jake Dotchin, Jakub Klepis, Radek Smolenak and goaltender Landon Bow are the others with NHL experience.
Greatly considered to be one of the best players in NHL history, Jagr will be a first-ballot hall of famer when he eventually closes off his career. He finished his 24-year NHL run ith 1,921 points, the most by a European in NHL history. Jagr also had 15 seasons of at least 70 points or more, and is a five-time winner of the Art Ross Trophy for most points in a single season, good for fourth all-time with a career-high of 127 in 1998-99.
Jagr has 169 points in 169 games in the top Czech league and another 20 points in 28 games in the second division.
Puck drop for Wednesday’s contest will be at 12:00 PM ET, with Kladno looking for its first win against Pardubice this season.