Jaromir Jagr
Jaromir Jagr
Jaromír Jágr; born February 15, 1972) is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. He has formerly played in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers. After leaving the Rangers, he played for three seasons in the Kontinental Hockey Leaguewith Avangard Omsk before returning to the...
NationalityCzechoslovakian
ProfessionHockey Player
Date of Birth15 February 1972
CityKladno, Czech Republic
I didn't get frustrated - it's a playoff game and I did what I had to do. We're losing, 5-1, and I wanted to play as hard as I can to the last minute. Whether it's smart or not, I don't know. I'm not going to question that.... I don't want to send anybody a message. That's the way I wanted to play. That's the way I'm going to play.
Maybe it would be better not to risk (injury), but I'm not going to question what I did. I'm going to do everything I can to be back to help. If I can't, it's over. But I believe we can (win the series).
I said I didn't touch it and it wasn't my goal. Can you imagine if they would give it to me and after the game you guys would ask me the stupid questions over and over and over forever?
In international competition, you're facing the best players on every line. I think the Olympics is tougher for the goalie. I've got a lot of confidence in the way he plays. This is the least concern in my mind right now.
I'm not angry, I'm upset. I've got no answer for it. The last two games we lost to teams we should beat. We're having such a good year, we don't want to give it away.
It's not good for us and it's not going to get better until we win. I'm hoping it's not too late to stop it. I thought we had a big chance today and we didn't do it.
It's not a good situation that we are in. Everybody knows how important these next four games are at home. It might be our season. That's the way I look at it. I thought we started playing better in the last two games. It's just that the results are not there.
Everybody says your health is the most important thing, and he's a perfect example. If he would have been healthy, he would break a lot of records. Maybe not all of them, but I'm pretty sure a lot of them. He was the best player I've ever seen. He was the most gifted at everything - size, strength, skill, how smart he was. There is no other player like him.
The biggest thing, he's not afraid, he's not scared. I don't think he's nervous when he goes to the penalty shot. I don't think he feels the pressure.
Nobody believed we could do any damage in this league and I think that worked to our advantage.
That guy, Mark Messier, he did so much for hockey. He truly deserves it. People will never forget that. If you give 100 percent, people will love you.
That is the last thing I want to do.
It was huge. We haven't played very well lately. But I'm happy we found a way to win.
It was great for the New York fans and all the hockey fans. If you're a player like Mark and play so many years in the NHL and did so much for hockey he truly deserved it. He brought the Cup here to New York in 1994 and the people love him, so he deserved it.