Jaromir Jagr Re-Signs With Panthers, Will Turn 45 Next Season

Jaromir Jagr is 44 years old. Apparently he and the Florida Panthers and unaware of that fact, because the two sides just agreed to a new contract that will keep Jagr in town through next season.

Jagr just completed his 22nd season in the NHL and that doesn’t include the three full seasons he spent playing in the KHL. Jagr made his NHL debut for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1990, when new Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka was barely a year old.

The deal will reportedly pay Jagr $4 million plus incentives for games played and awards earned. He played in 79 games this year, and let the Panthers with 66 points. Jagr is now third on the all-time points and third all-time in goals. He will enter next year 19 points behind Mark Messier for second in career points.

If Jagr wants to become the NHL’s all-time leading scorer he’s going to have to stick around for a while. At his current pace, Jagr (who has 1,868 career points) would have to play 11 more seasons to catch Wayne Gretzky’s total of 2,857. So yeah, second-leading scorer is a nice goal.

While it’s easy to poke fun at Jagr’s age, he truly is a marvel. He’s still relevant and not just a guy hanging on for dear life. Gordie Howe played 80 games for the Hartford Whalers at 52, and Chris Chelios played seven games for the Atlanta Thrashers at 48, so this is not unprecedented. But the high level that Jagr has maintained just might be.