Jagr feels obligated to play professional hockey, at least until he turns 50
Jaromir Jagr is set to enter his 34th year of professional hockey when he steps on the ice with Kladno in the CzechExtraliga. The future Hall of Famer feels like he's obligated to continue playing for Kladno for financial reasons that keep the club afloat (sponsorships, etc.).
"I have a responsibility to the club, otherwise I wouldn't fly here, and I wouldn't be making a fool of myself. But if I quit, the partners and sponsors would leave, and the club may be done," Jagr said to The Hockey News' Pavel Barta. "I have no choice. People don't understand it, but I don't care. Only God will judge me. I expect much more from myself, and I also believe that I have it in me."
At age 49, Jagr helped his club gain promotion to the top division, the CzechExtraliga, after being relegated to the second division following a poor showing during the 2019-20 season. He went on to add that he doesn't want to let people down, including his father who serves as Kladno's president.
"At the same time, people still expect it from me, and that's probably the worst feeling - when people think I can, but I know I can't," Jagr said. "Plus, I can't even tell them. I just know that I will do my best to help the club. I don't know if anyone can understand my role. I don't even want to be in such a position, but I have no choice. As long as my father breathes, I take the club as my responsibility. He held it for 20 years. As a son, I would be embarrassed if I left."
Jagr will turn 50 in February, and it's unclear if he will continue playing hockey beyond then. Whenever he retires, he's earned his spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and it's more than likely that the Penguins will raise his number 68 to the rafters.
Jagr feels obligation to keep playing near age 50: 'I have no choice' https://t.co/e7gvL0MFRj pic.twitter.com/RHRLk8pLSb theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) August 12, 2021
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YESTERDAY
JUNE 6, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Mitch Marner | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| Tomas Hertl | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jordan Staal | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Shea Theodore | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Brayden McNabb | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Taylor Hall | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jordan Martinook | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Andrei Svechnikov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jackson Blake | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brett Howden | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Seth Jarvis | - | 1 | 1 | |
| William Karlsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jaccob Slavin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Logan Stankoven | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||