... there is Jagr with his sister Jitka ...

Before his departure to America he played in the Czech league for two years. For Kladno he played ninety games where he marked an incredible 70 points. Every coach of the Czech national junior team was counting on him. He experienced the peak of his career at the World championship in Switzerland in 1990 when he was only 18 years old. The "young rifles" - Jagr, Reichel and Holik - were the most assertive forwards of our selection. Nothing stood in their way after political changes in 1989 !

He was looking forward to go to the big and unexplored America. On a draft in 1990 he was chosen as the fifth player by Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that hosted his idol Mario Lemieux. All of the sudden they were supposed to play together. "Mario has been my example since the World championship in Prague in 1985". Now I can admit that even six months after my arrival in Pittsburgh I carried his picture in my wallet.? He called Mario a player from a different planet. Even in America he had Lemieux sign some of his cards or posters ! Next to autographs "Super Mario" enriched Jagr with countless experiences and advice. The best hockey player was raising his successor by his side.

Most of all, Jagr managed to make it through his first season thanks to the help of Jiri Hrdina, also a Czech player. During his first year Jaromir was very successful, but outside if the Civic Arena he was homesick. He, as a young boy coming from a small country in the middle of Europe, realized the impact of not knowing the language in a foreign environment, so the Pens management signed Hrdina from Calgary. He took the rising hockey star under his wing and Jagr could focus on ice hockey again. The first year he reached 57 points (27 goals and 30 passes) and he was chosen to play among the best configuration of new players. And on top of that, he touched the Stanley cup when he was barely 20 years old. A lot of experienced champions never achieved this in their whole career. The fairy-tale repeated itself a year later. However, he had a much bigger credit on his second Stanley Cup. Earning 24 points in the play off was Jagr´s best success !

Jagr continued to impress America, which was still not conquered by Europeans. In his third season he earned 94 points and in the other one he was only one point behind the 100 point maximum possible. During a strike in the 1994-95 season he played for his hometown, Kladno, where he helped score 22 points in eleven games. Mario Lemieux, who was the captain, decided to miss a season due to his painful back and Jagr became the king of the "Penguins". In a shorter season he made 32 goals and with 77 points he won his first Art Ross Trophy. The next year he showed his abilities with his best individual achievement up to that point in his career when he earned 149 points thanks to his 62 goals and 8 passes. He set a record among right wings.

The upcoming year was marked by Jagr´s fight with an injured groin, which prohibited him from playing 19 games. But he still 95 points, enough for sixth place in basic part. The next 1997-98 season began the same way the previous one ended, with ongoing problems with his groin. After the failure of traditional methods, a mysterious Chinese healer, Lee, returned him to the ice using acupuncture. Thanks to his improved condition he managed to make it to the Olympic Games in Nagano and win gold for the national team. Despite his original hasty announcement from celebrations in Prague - "For me the season is over ..." a tired Jagr after his arrival back to Pittsburgh shocked everyone (as well as the majority of our players) by scoring four points in a game against Montreal. In a similar speed he played the rest of the games, thanks to which he earned his second Art Trophy and was the only player to get over 100 points.

Jagr did not stop even after his "golden season". The 1998-99 season was especially successful for the captain of the Penguins. With 127 points he won his third Art Trophy by 21 points. He dethroned the king Hasek and achieved his dream when he won the Hart Trophy for the most useful player of the season. "I want to cry like Eric Lindros", he used to dream. During the announcement of the award in Toronto he was able to let his emotions go.

The 1999-2000 season was unlucky again. Injuries forced Jagr to skip 20 matches, but he still received the Art Ross trophy for the fourth time when he overtook Bure, who was winning by 11 points. On top of that he stole a Pittsburgh club record from Lemieux when he scored in 15 games in a row. Unfortunately, he missed his second Hart Trophy by one vote; the best defense player of the season, Chris Pronger from St. Luis won it.

In the season 2000-2001, Jagr proved again that he is the king of world ice hockey. Next to famous Lemieux he earned his fourth in a row and fifth total Art Ross Trophy with 121 points. With Pittsburgh he had high ambitions in the playoff. He won a Stanley Cup with Mario, perhaps the last one to be earned together. After the season he left Pittsburgh. How beautiful it was to say good-bye with a Cup above his head?. Jaromir Jagr is heading to the Washington Capitals team!!!

Jaromir has not played too often for the national team since he entered the NHL. He is one of the busiest players and that is why he insists on the importance of regeneration and relaxation. Also he has been a regular participant of playoffs for ten years, which could complicate his nomination. Besides the world championship in 1990 mentioned above where he won a bronze medal, he played an unlucky championship in Italy in 1994 where Czechs ended up seventh. The Canadian championship in 1991 and the World championship in 1996 were not very successful, but finally at the Olympic games in 1998 he finally won his gold medal. During the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City 2002, Jaromir was the captain of the Czech National Team and performed there with the best representative skills in all games.