Former Devils player Jaromir Jagr and his love for ice hockey

Just 11 years ago, the two men in the title photo were preparing to spend their first season on the same team. Andy Green was only 30 years old, and Jaromir Jagr was already 41 years old. In the offseason, New Jersey Devils Fans got hammered by their top prospect for the second year in a row, and signing Jagr was a fairly typical response from Lou Ramiorelo, who is still known for giving older players a chance when other teams might think the game is passing them by.

Of course, Jagr and Green proved to be a very good pair on the ice. Despite being over 40, Jagr still dominated the puck and created many goals – but unfortunately, he came to the Devils a year or two too late to make an impact on the team outside of the regular season. At that time, I had only been watching hockey for a few years. I witnessed the team’s great progress in 2012, only to fail in the most frustrating way. Soon, the two offensive superstars who had made the team strong enough to compete parted ways.

Bringing in Jaromir Jagr to make up for those losses wasn’t enough in itself — we all know about those moves in the 2013 offseason No But just watching Jagr play was an amazing experience, and you could tell how much he loved being there. Jagr was always doing something to keep the Devils on offense, playing a game that looked he Trying to wear down the opponent. Being 41 years old is not a problem for him, because he always has the puck and always directs where the puck goes next. After losing Ilya Kovalchuk (who was released and signed another huge contract in the KHL), Jagr is like the opposite. Kovalchuk is no longer a player due to age, injury or Longing to go somewhere elseJagger has been giving it his all. Despite the poor results of the 2013-14 season, it was largely Jagger’s efforts, and his knowledge that Martin Brodeur’s career was likely over, that made that season easier to watch relative to other years between 2012 and the actual return to play in 2022-23.

You might have expected Jagr to have retired by now, especially after Calgary barely gave him playing time and cut ties with him after about a quarter of a season, despite his well-played lines. very good with him. Yet, he was only 45, with plenty of hockey left to play. Now, at 52 — he’ll turn 53 in February — he still works hard in the offseason, wearing weights on his skates to help him build strength for the upcoming season.

On the other hand, Andy Greene, who played with Jagr in the two seasons before he was traded to Florida, is still playing ice hockey. However, the 41-year-old former captain is not preparing for professional ice hockey in Europe. He is one of many players the Devils have hired recently. The news was overshadowed by the appointment of Chuck Fletcher, former general manager of the Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers. Green joining the Devils is most welcome news as his years of experience can only benefit the team. This is especially true for the defense and their players, who just came off a very tough season and could benefit from the perspective of a veteran who has played in the modern-day NHL. I do find it interesting, though, that Green is rejoining the organization in a consulting capacity at about the same age that Jaromir Jagr signed with the team to become the team’s leading scorer.

Watching Jagr play can teach today’s players a lot. Although Jagr entered the league at a very fast pace, the elder Jagr continues to perform well, with a physical fitness close to his peak and unshakable strength. He has been with the puck for so long and still has impeccable vision on the ice and is able to play at a very high level. As we asked How Timo Meier fulfills his contract or if Ondrej Palat is indeed a negative force on the iceI’ll use Jagr as an example. In both cases of Meier and Palat, hard work is the answer. Meier has played a style of hockey where he is best at controlling the puck and exerting a physical advantage on his opponents. Palat showed his impact in the 2023 playoffs and made the IIHF world audience Another glimpse at how to chase big wins — whether it’s a medal or a trophy — it takes him to the next level.

As a young fan, I felt the pain of Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk’s departures, but Jagr’s passion and winning mentality made me fall in love with hockey all over again. To this day, my favorite players to watch are those who give it their all on and off the ice — I hope Palat can bring that playoff passion to the team’s regular season performance this season. I expect some of the young guys on the team, especially Meyer, Hischel, and Blatt, to continue to build on their strengths and become a dominant top line. I hope Andy Green joins the fray more consistently and helps Luke Hughes become a responsible two-way defenseman and on-ice leader.

Across the Atlantic, I expect Jaromir Jagr to have an astonishingly good year. I fear that, with just 15 games played and four assists (his fewest since the 2018-19 season), we may be looking at a quiet retirement. In many cases, people don’t appreciate what they have until it’s gone, but Jagr deserves to hear all the appreciation the hockey world can muster before his final game.

With that in mind, it would be nice if the Hockey Hall of Fame waived its normal career retirement requirements and inducted him in 2025.

Looking ahead

In August, I will focus on some historical issues. Next week, I will discuss two books – Doc Emrick’s memoirs, Off Mike: How a kid from basketball-mad Indiana became the face of the NHL and a collaboration between Chico Resch and Mike Kerwick, A story from Devil Ice. I had been planning to write about them this week, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to write about Jaromil Jager.

After that, I want to read some players’ memoirs, but I haven’t picked any yet, so if you have any ideas, let me know in the comments.

your thoughts

What do you think of Jaromir Jagr’s announcement that he plans to play every game in the 2024-25 season? Which player on the team do you think will learn the most from a week with the legend? What do you think of Andy Green officially joining the Devils again? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.