The Pittsburgh Penguins have retired three numbers in their history: Michel Briere (21), Mario Lemieux (66), and Jaromir Jagr (68). Two of the three played their entire career with the franchise, while Jagr played for eight other clubs.
Jagr is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer who isn’t eligible yet because he plays professionally with the Rytíři Kladno in Czechia. He hasn’t skated in the NHL since 2017-18 and finished his North American career with 1,921 points, which ranks second all-time to Wayne Gretzky’s 2,857.
Jagr won the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992, his first two seasons in the league. After that, he only skated in the 2013 Final as a member of the Boston Bruins.
When he left Pittsburgh in 2001, Jagr was the team’s second-leading scorer, behind Lemieux, with 439 goals, 640 assists, and 1,079 points.
As of 2024, his name has dropped to fourth in each category because of the lengthy and productive careers of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Even though Jagr was skating with Lemieux again after the Hall of Famer came out of retirement in December 2000, he was dealt to the Washington Capitals in July 2001.
Here’s a yearly breakdown of Jagr’s performances against the Penguins after he left town:
|
Team |
Year |
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Washington |
2001-02 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
|
Washington |
2002-03 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
NY Rangers |
2003-04 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
NY Rangers |
2005-06 |
8 |
7 |
4 |
11 |
|
NY Rangers |
2006-07 |
8 |
4 |
4 |
8 |
|
NY Rangers |
2007-08 |
8 |
2 |
5 |
8 |
|
Philadelphia |
2011-12 |
6 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
|
Boston |
2012-13 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Boston – Playoffs |
2012-13 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
|
New Jersey Devils |
2013-14 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
New Jersey Devils |
2014-15 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Florida Panthers |
2015-16 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Florida Panthers |
2016-17 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
In 57 games against the team that drafted him fifth overall at the 1990 Draft, he scored 25 goals and added 22 assists for 47 points.
Of the 30 teams he played against in his career, Jagr scored the 16th most points against the Penguins, wedged between the Colorado Avalanche (50) and Edmonton Oilers (41).
Interestingly, Jagr had a negative plus/minus rating against only three teams: the Minnesota Wild (minus-6), the Los Angeles Kings (minus-6), and the Penguins (minus-4).
Because Jagr departed the NHL after the 2007-08 season to play in Russia in the KHL, his last game at Mellon Arena (formerly the Civic Arena) was on Jan. 14, 2008. In that game, he scored the only goal for the Rangers, who were defeated 4-1 that night.
By the time he returned to the NHL, Mellon Arena had been torn down, and Consol Energy Center (now PPG Paints Arena) was the new home of the Penguins. Jagr debuted in the new facility on Apr. 1, 2011, as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. Naturally, he picked up an assist in the 6-4 visitors victory.
On Mar. 19, 2017, Jagr played his last game against the Penguins as a member of the Florida Panthers, going pointless in a 4-0 defeat at PPG Paints Arena.
Twenty-three years after Jagr last pulled on a Penguins sweater, the team welcomed him back with open arms for a jersey retirement ceremony in February 2024, raising No. 68 to the rafters as the first and last player to wear the digits.
Regarding Jagr’s production in Pittsburgh compared to his career totals, here’s the breakdown:
-
Games Played: 806/1733 (46.5%)
-
Goals: 439/766 (57.3%)
-
Assists: 640/1155 (55.4%)
-
Points: 1,079/1,921 (56.1%)
As one of the best players to ever play in the NHL, there’s no denying his place among the legends of the games and the impact he had as a member of the Penguins for a decade.
It is fascinating that Jagr almost produced at a point-per-game pace against his former team, finishing his career with a .82 average.
