PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was a night much anticipated as Jaromir Jagr sat with former teammates Jay Caufield, Phil Bourque and Kevin Stevens at the Rivers Casino to tell stories Friday. He talked about how he hated being booed in Pittsburgh and discussed how he was blessed to be a Penguin. Also how he thought he was being pranked by President Reagan and was nearly a Flyer from the start.
You can watch the entire night as it was filmed by Sportsnet Pittsburgh and will be played on Saturday night, February 17.
Here is a list of several stories he told in front of current head coach Mike Sullivan, GM Kyle Dubas and many other current and former Pens employees, plus tables full of fans hanging on his every word.
No love
Let’s start with the reason he hasn’t been back. Jagr didn’t understand that when he returned back to Pittsburgh and would be booed, that it mostly wasn’t about him. He didn’t get that Pens fans were more booing the jersey he was wearing whether that was Washington, Boston, New Jersey, Philly or the Rangers.
“I was afraid they didn’t like me here,” Jagr said. “I don’t really enjoy that.”
God and Mario
Jagr said when he was a kid in the Czech Republic, he stayed up late one night to watch the World Championships and saw Mario Lemieux score a pair of goals as Canada upset Russia. Jagr said Lemieux immediately became his idol. When he was at school, he would write ‘Lemieux’ on his desk even though he wasn’t allowed.
“I always believe in God, always believe in a higher power,” Jagr said Friday. “I always believed that whatever you wish is going to happen. Back then, I wished I could play with him. In 1990, it happened.”
Jagr said he always strived to be the best, unless he competed against Mario. He was the only player he was ok finishing second to.
Close to starting a Flyer
While Jagr said he told a few teams he would go to the army instead of being drafted by them. He said Friday at Rivers Casino he had a meeting with Flyers GM Bobby Clarke three days before the 1990 NHL Draft. Clarke really wanted him, but Philadelphia fired Clarke on the eve of the draft or he said he would have signed with Philly.
Big baby
Not in the way of whining, Jagr was literally a big baby. He said he held, and likely still holds, the record for the biggest baby in his hometown. Jagr said he was 13 pounds at birth. Some people in the crowd gasped.
“What about my mom,” Jagr said with a smile and then laugh. He said his mom couldn’t have more children after him.
Hard work
The theme from his former teammates was about how hard Jagr worked. He would stay on the ice for an hour after practice and would be told to get off the ice. He said Ron Francis once showed him a bike workout that included sprints. Jagr said at times he would throw up during it, but would keep going. He said Francis taught him how he could find a next level.
He learned how to shoot from then Pens assistant and former Pens great Rick Kehoe. He said they would take between 200-400 shots after every practice. He said he wasn’t a good shooter when he came to the US, but became one of the best.
“It motivates me when someone says you can’t do it,” Jagr said. “It motivated me when they said you are too old, you can’t play anymore. I wanted to prove they were wrong. It wasn’t about age. It was about work ethic.”
“I never took hockey as a job. I wanted to be the best at it. I knew I would get better.”
Why hockey
The drive to play hockey came from advice from his father as he wanted to see the world.
“Kids from communist countries there was a motivation,” Jagr said. “My parents, during the communist years, never left the country. They never saw the US or Canada. My dad had never been to another country. They wouldn’t let you go. My dad always said listen if you want to see other countries, see how other people live. You have to be a sport guy, you have to play hockey.”
“I was so lucky and blessed God gave me the ability to play and my parents put me in that position and did everything for me to play hockey.”
He got a fast car
Bourque told a story of once being in Jagr’s car and seeing a speeding ticket on the floor. He asked Jagr what to do with it, and Jagr said put it in the glove box. As he opened it, he noticed several others. Jagr said the police looked for him every day. They eventually caught him and after a few license suspensions, he got his drivers’ license taken away.
“It didn’t make sense to me the speed limit,” Jagr said. “Why do you make fast cars if you got a speed limit? It didn’t make sense to me. Now I understand.”
“I’m not saying I was always doing the right thing. I’m not an angel.”
Jagr’s first car was a black Camaro. He got it free as part of an advertising deal with a local dealership. Jagr said he met the president of the dealership and he gave him the keys and said let me know if you need anything. Jagr drove off the lot and on the way home hit a deer. He would immediately drive back to the dealership and went to see the president.
“You didn’t leave yet,” Jagr said the local Chevy dealer president told him. “You are still here? I was like ‘no, something happened’.”
“I had bad luck right away with cars.”
April Fools Mr. President
Speaking of Presidents, Jagr said Sports Illustrated went to his hometown to do a story after the Pens won their second Stanley Cup. They printed a story that Jagr used to keep a picture of US President Ronald Reagan in his school books. President Reagan read it. Then there were a series of calls on an unfortunate day.
“It was April 1st, I was at a practice and my mother was home and the phone was ringing,” Jagr explained. “‘This is Ronald Reagan’s secretary’. She didn’t understand English very good and she hung up.”
“Two hours the phone rang again, I picked it up this time. ‘Ronald Reagan’s secretary, can I speak to Jaromir’. I said I was his driver, could you give me a number and he will call you back. She gave me the number. I thought it was a joke.”
“Five minutes later I called it back ‘Ronald Reagan’s secretary’s office’. I hung up. I was so scared, because I thought it was a joke and it wasn’t.”
He said he set up a meeting and Jagr and President Reagan talked the next day for 15 minutes.
Quick Notes
· He started his career as a 4th line winger with Troy Loney and Bryan Trottier “It was perfect for me because I could learn”. It also drove him to move up to a higher line.
· Jagr admitted he was homesick and back then could only talk to his family once a week. They set up a time at 9a on Sunday that he would call weekly. He admitted he cried a few times because he missed them.
· He once took English classes for eight hours a day, one day a week. He also learned from watching TV, his favorite show ‘Married With Children’.
· His first coach Badger Bob Johnson was like a teacher to him. He said regardless of how he played, Johnson would always treat him the same.
· On his number being retired. “This is going to be forever. Kids are going to come and say, there was some Jagr who played here.”
· “I never played hockey for individual trophies or to have a jersey retired. That was never my goal. Maybe that’s why I’m still playing. It was something that I love.”
Watch the entire special on Sportsnet Pittsburgh on Saturday night.