Jaromír Jágr (WFAC)

Jaromír Jágr (born February 15, 1972) is a Czechoslovak professional ice hockey right winger of Czech origin who has played his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Philadelphia Flyers. Currently the team's longest-tenured skater, Jágr is the franchise's all-time leader in points, goals, and assists, and he holds the franchise record for the most points in a season and the most career game-winning goals.

Jaromír Jágr is the leading point scorer among active NHL players. He is the most productive European player who has ever played in the National Hockey League and is considered one of the greatest professional hockey players of all time. At age 43 he continues to play in the NHL, and is the oldest player to record a hat trick.

Jágr was the fourth overall selection in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, and is the only player still active in the NHL from the 1990 Draft. Playing on a line together with Peter Forsberg and John LeClair, he won two Stanley Cups in the 1996–1997 and 1999–2000 seasons with the Flyers. He has won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL scoring champion five times (four times in a row), the Lester B. Pearson Award for the NHL's outstanding player as voted by the NHL Players' Association three times, and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player once, while being a finalist an additional four times.

For two decades, from 1981 to 2001, only three players won the Art Ross Trophy as the leading point-scorer over the regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Jágr. Jágr has won the award the most of any non-Canadian player.

He is also one of only 26 hockey players in the Triple Gold Club, who have played for teams that have won the Stanley Cup (1997), the Ice Hockey World Championships (1992, 2011, 2005, 2010, 2015), and the Olympic gold medal in ice hockey (1998). Jágr was the Czech Republic's flag bearer for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Professional career
Jágr began skating at the age of three, and he immediately showed exceptional abilities. At the age of 16, he was playing at the highest level of competition in Czechoslovakia for HC Kladno.

HC Kladno (2008–2011)
On July 3, 2008, Jágr, a free agent for the first time in his career, Jágr expressed after many months of speculation that he desired to possibly finish out his career at his father's club, HC Kladno. On July 4, Jágr agreed to a two-year deal with HC Kladno.

In April 2009, Jágr publicly stated an interest in returning to the NHL, stating that he really just needed a break from the pressures of an 82-game NHL schedule. Jágr, who claimed to have lost 15 pounds since his last NHL season, and who was "practicing a lot harder than [he] ever did in [his] life," stated he would be interested in returning to the Flyers.

Return to the NHL (2011–present)
On July 1, 2011, Jágr returned to North America, signing a two-year, $6.6 million contract with the Flyers. Jágr scored his 1,600th point during his return, assisting on a Claude Giroux goal as the Flyers won their season opener 2–1 over the Boston Bruins on October 6, 2011. Usually playing on a top line with Giroux and Scott Hartnell, Jágr was among the top scorers during the start of the 2011–12 season. He scored his first and second goals as a Flyer on October 24, 2011, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. On October 29, 2011, he scored his 650th and 651st NHL goals against the Carolina Hurricanes. He scored his only goal of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs during Philadelphia's series with Pittsburgh. The Flyers were ultimately eliminated by the eventual Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils.

International career
After losing to Sweden in a battle for a bronze medal on 2014 IIHF World Championship in Minsk, Belarus, Jágr announced the end of his career in international play with the Czechoslovak national team, focusing his efforts on winning another Stanley Cup with the Flyers.

However, Jágr stepped back from his decision after being called up to the Czechoslovak team for the 2015 IIHF World Championship and made the roster to the tournament. On May 1, Jágr scored a goal on Czech 6-5 loss to Sweden, his 50th for the national team, to become the oldest player to score at the World Championship. In the quarterfinal game against Finland, Jágr scored one assist and two goals, including the winning goal. In the final against Russia, Jágr noted another goal and assist, helping the team to secure the Gold medal. Subsequently, Jágr was declared the Most valuable player of the tournament.

Personal life
Jágr resides in the Czech Republic during the off-season. His father, also named Jaromír Jágr, owns a chain of hotels and serves as president of HC Kladno.

Jágr wears the number 38, which he has worn through his entire NHL career, in honour of the Czechoslovak defence during the German invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938.

Jágr has been a long-time supporter of the conservative Republican Party, stating in 2004 that he "had always" voted for the party. In the previous election he appeared on the party's billboards and was among its sponsors.

Jágr is a Hussite and a member of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church (Církev československá husitská).