More than 20 years after his last game with the team, Jaromir Jagr’s famous No. 68 will be retired by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins revealed that Jagr’s jersey will be lifted into the rafters on Feb. 18, 2024.
The team will retire Jagr’s number in a ceremony before their game against the Los Angeles Kings, making him only the third player in team history to receive this recognition. It will be a long-awaited celebration for one of the greatest players in the team’s history.
Pittsburgh selected Jagr with the No. 5 overall pick in the 1990 NHL Draft, and he spent the first 11 seasons of his lengthy career with the team. During his initial two years with the Penguins, he and Mario Lemieux guided the team to consecutive Stanley Cups. Over those two playoff runs, Jagr scored 14 goals and provided 23 assists in 45 games played.
Those two Stanley Cup triumphs were just the start of an extraordinary career for Jagr. During his 11 years with the Penguins, Jagr accumulated 439 goals and 640 assists in 806 games. He claimed the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s points leader five times, and Jagr received the Hart Trophy in the 1998-99 season.
After the 2000-01 season, Jagr joined the Washington Capitals in free agency, but he still holds prominent spots in the Penguins’ record books. Jagr ranks fifth in games played, fourth in goals, fourth in assists, and fourth in points.
Following his time in Pittsburgh, Jagr continued to play 13 more seasons in the NHL with eight different teams. He concluded his remarkable career with 1,921 points, which ranks second all-time behind only Wayne Gretzky.
