Former Penguin Jaromir Jagr inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame
PRAGUE, CZE (KDKA) - In a year that has seen Jaromir Jagr have his iconic 68 jersey number retired in Pittsburgh all the way to finding out the bobbleheads honoring his likeness had been stolen, it's been one for the history books.
That continued on Sunday during the IIHF World Championships, which are being held in his home country of Czechia.
The International Ice Hockey Federation announced its 2024 Hall of Fame induction class and among the nominees was none other than Jagr himself.
"I have a lot of people to thank, but I'd like to start with my coach, Ivan Hlinka, who passed away 20 years ago," Jagr said during the ceremony. "When he coached me in Pittsburgh he said, If you want to be great, you have to know the history of your game. I remember that very well, and thinking that what he is trying to say is that every kid needs an idol. And when I was watching the World Championships and the Olympics, I was looking for an idol. I was looking for someone to say, he's a great player, I want to be like him. And I started with Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Paul Coffey. Then Hakan Loob, Jarri Kurri, who was my favorite guy when I was young. I wanted to be a goalscorer like him. But also Czech legends Jaroslav Pouzar, Igor Liba, Nedomansky, Martinec, Novy, Pospisil. I loved them all. They're the reasons I became the player I became."
It's been eight years since Jaromir Jagr played on the international stage when he not only represented his home country but was named tournament MVP. In 10 games, Jagr scored six goals and added three assists for 9 points.
This latest honor is likely just a precursor to his inevitable nomination to the Hockey Hall of Fame, but that continues to be put on hold as he still is lacing up his skates and playing for the club he owns, Kladno.
So far this season in the Czech league, Jagr has skated in 15 games and has recorded four assists.
