“I’m not good enough,” Jaromir Jagr points out Sidney Crosby as reason for not returning to Penguins in 2011
Hockey icon Jaromir Jagr states Sidney Crosby’s presence at Pittsburgh as a reason for his signing with the Flyers back in 2011.
Jaromir Jagr and Sidney Crosby [Image Credit: The Hockey News/Imago]
Ice hockey legend Jaromir Jagr recently shared why he chose to sign 1-year deal with Pittsburgh Penguins rival Philadelphia Flyers instead of his former team. During his recent jersey retirement ceremony, he spoke with Tom Gulitti of NHL.com and said that the 11 years he spent with the Penguins were “the best years of my life”.
Jagr left the team in 2001 and was traded to the Washington Capitals. When he had the chance to return to NHL ice he chose to sign 1-year $3.3 million deal with the Flyers instead of a $2 million deal with Pittsburgh. While many thought the reason to chose rival Philly was due to contract amount, the reason was hardly so.
He pointed out that Sidney Crosby, the current Penguins captain was the reason behind his decision. To further clarify his statement he noted, “Sid would have his own line, Malkin would have his own”, meaning he would have to play in either the third or fourth line which Jagr did not want.
I don’t think I would get the chance to show I can play. That was the only worry I had.Jaromir Jagr as per HockeyFeed.
On further research, Jaromir Jagr found out that Philadelphia had made recent big trades and the team was starting anew. He felt like he would have the same “chance” to play in front lines like everyone else. “If I don’t make it, it’s my fault, I’m not good enough,” he stated.
Jaromir Jagr believes Sidney Crosby to be reason for Mario Lemieux coming out of retirement in 2000
Jaromir Jagr further stated that he believes Sidney Crosby was one of the reasons why his former teammate Mario Lemieux came out of retirement in 2000. Lemieux retired in 1997 after battling lymphoma but decided to get back in the Penguins lineup in 2000. He finally retired in 2006 after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
Jagr said, “he couldn’t watch anymore” and declared “I’m coming back” prior to Sidney Crosby’s debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby ‘The Next One’ was selected by the team as first overall in 2005. Jagr stated that his and Lemieux’s era would be scripted in history and new talented players like Crosby would take on the current era.
Despite retiring from professional hockey, Jagr proudly stated that he’ll probably play the “game until I die” but unfortunately “I don’t have the hunger in me to be the best. I lost it.” He admitted that he can still play but being out there competitively and trying to be the best is not something he desires anymore.
Jagr takes up the 4th spot with the Pens adding up 1,079 points in 806 games. He’s trailing Lemieux by 1,723, Crosby by 1,556, and Evgeni Malkin by 1,270. Crosby stated that being there during Jagr’s jersey retirement ceremony was kind of a full-circle moment as he watched and admired the icon.
Since Jagr’s tenure, Crosby, Malkin, and Kris Letang have become the cornerstones of the franchise and have led the team to Stanley Cup Championships in 2009, 2016, and 2017. The team is currently struggling to take a spot for Cup contention in 2024, with the current key players in their 30s.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
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