GDT: Penguins retire Jagr's #68

[Shrimper]

About time. Can he play?

 

[BrookswasHere44]

100% FSG looking for the nostalgia factor.

That's a silly take right there

 

[StaalForOne]

Good. I hated him for a long time after the trade, but I'm glad they're finally doing this.

 

[WickedWrister]

100% FSG looking for the nostalgia factor.

I think it can be both. I forget who it was maybe Kevin Acklin (a yinzer) or someone under him reaching out to Jagr over the summer when he was in town for a signing. Yeah okay maybe it boosts ticket sales for a game and we sell some jerseys in the gift shop but it does seem like there was renewed interest in honoring Jagr.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think it can be both. I forget who it was maybe Kevin Acklin (a yinzer) or someone under him reaching out to Jagr over the summer when he was in town for a signing. Yeah okay maybe it boosts ticket sales for a game and we sell some jerseys in the gift shop but it does seem like there was renewed interest in honoring Jagr.

Yeah buncha suits had interest.

But “they grew up in Pittsburgh and loved Jagr”.

 

[WickedWrister]

Yeah buncha suits had interest.

But “they grew up in Pittsburgh and loved Jagr”.

Cynical much?

Who else from this generation of Penguins is getting retired next? 87 and 71 are locks.

I'd say 58 and 29 as well. Both are easily the best at their position in this franchises history, and Fleury was a huge fan favorite.

 

[BusinessGoose]

This has been rumored to happen for a couple of years and Mario has said it for 5+ years. If you think they would retire a number to sell some more tickets for a single game, I think you are very wrong.

I dunno about very wrong. I certainly think most teams would be happy to get ticket boosts. But it's not happening JUST for that.

But yeah i think last we left it was before FSG bought the team, there was possibly a report that mario was open to it, but it was up to jagr to show interest in getting it to happen

And maybe jagr was waiting until he really couldn't play hockey much anymore

 

[rick6668]

Got my tickets!! 5 hour drive here I come!

 

[Pancakes]

I think this is fantastic and I'm glad it's happening. One of the most important players in franchise history and well deserved.

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

If you took only his time in Pittsburgh, he'd easily be a first ballot hall of famer off that alone. 5 Art Ross trophies, a Hart, 2 cups, over 1000 points. Plus nobody was ever going to wear 68 for the Pens again, let's face it.

His number deserves to be retired.

 

[Gurglesons]

Cynical much?

Who else from this generation of Penguins is getting retired next? 87 and 71 are locks.

I'd say 58 and 29 as well. Both are easily the best at their position in this franchises history, and Fleury was a huge fan favorite.

To me the Penguins have been very special about who gets retired here. IMO the only two numbers that should be going up are Sid and Malkin on the same night.

 

[Pancakes]

51 year old Jagr might be better than 38 year old Jeff Carter if we just gave him PP time and purely offensive zone starts

14 pts in 26 games for Kladno last year

Mario and Jagr could probably still run a PP if all they did was take o-zone shifts lol.

To me the Penguins have been very special about who gets retired here. IMO the only two numbers that should be going up are Sid and Malkin on the same night.

I think Letang and Maf absolutely deserve the honor. We're talking about arguably the greatest defenseman and goalie in franchise history.

And yes I know Coffey/Barasso but neither of those two have played here as long or had the same success here that Maf/Tanger did.

And I say this as someone who isn't a rabid Maf fan like a lot of Pittsburgh is. But the guy is beloved in the city and played here so long and won 3 cups. I don't see how he's not up there.

 

[Dessloch]

I think it can be both. I forget who it was maybe Kevin Acklin (a yinzer) or someone under him reaching out to Jagr over the summer when he was in town for a signing. Yeah okay maybe it boosts ticket sales for a game and we sell some jerseys in the gift shop but it does seem like there was renewed interest in honoring Jagr.

This goes back to 2020 and before, every Penguins fan should read this article below, its great!

Finding Jagr: On Phil Bourque’s quest to connect with his teammate, and what it means for his future with the Penguins

Phil Bourque recently reconnected with a former Penguins teammate and visit shed light on Jaromir Jagr's Pittsburgh future.

theathletic.com

 

[Turin]

I loved Jagr as a Pen and am glad to see this happen, but I wonder if ticket sales are flagging and if this has anything to do with it.

Pens have been trying to get this done for years now.

 

[WickedWrister]

Mario and Jagr could probably still run a PP if all they did was take o-zone shifts lol.


I think Letang and Maf absolutely deserve the honor. We're talking about arguably the greatest defenseman and goalie in franchise history.

And yes I know Coffey/Barasso but neither of those two have played here as long or had the same success here that Maf/Tanger did.

And I say this as someone who isn't a rabid Maf fan like a lot of Pittsburgh is. But the guy is beloved in the city and played here so long and won 3 cups. I don't see how he's not up there.

Yeah its not even close

(Paul Coffey being 2nd in pts and 16th in GP among defensemen is wild)

Bonus:

 

[cvrle1]

This goes back to 2020 and before, every Penguins fan should read this article below, its great!

Finding Jagr: On Phil Bourque’s quest to connect with his teammate, and what it means for his future with the Penguins

Phil Bourque recently reconnected with a former Penguins teammate and visit shed light on Jaromir Jagr's Pittsburgh future.

theathletic.com

Pay wall, no bueno.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

This goes back to 2020 and before, every Penguins fan should read this article below, its great!

Finding Jagr: On Phil Bourque’s quest to connect with his teammate, and what it means for his future with the Penguins

Phil Bourque recently reconnected with a former Penguins teammate and visit shed light on Jaromir Jagr's Pittsburgh future.

theathletic.com

Yeah, this has been a push by the Pens since before the sale to FSG. The issue has largely been getting Jagr to commit, and he kept dodging it, saying he wasn't retired yet.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Good, very much deserved.

 

[Pancakes]

Yeah its not even close





Bonus:

It's weird to think about Brooks Orpik playing that many games with the Pens and I don't feel like anybody really thinks about him at all any more or has much in the way of positive memories of him aside from the shift against the Red Wings.

Kind of a forgotten soldier for someone who played 700 gp here. I'd probably attribute that to his personality. Bit of a hardnosed no nonsense guy who doesn't generate the warm fuzzy feelings in the same way that the big 4 with their personalities do.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

From that Athletic story --

Tom McMillan, who had covered Jagr as a Penguins beat reporter for a Pittsburgh newspaper, broached the subject a few years back at the NHL 100 ceremony. Theirs had been a good relationship, so as Jagr mingled with former teammates, McMillan, now the team’s VP of communications, took the opportunity to deliver a message.

“I told him then that we want to retire his number,” McMillan said. “I said to him then: ’68 belongs up with 66, your number next to Mario’s.”

-----

That was in 2017. This is not an FSG thing. Jagr just finally agreed.

 

[WickedWrister]

This goes back to 2020 and before, every Penguins fan should read this article below, its great!

Finding Jagr: On Phil Bourque’s quest to connect with his teammate, and what it means for his future with the Penguins

Phil Bourque recently reconnected with a former Penguins teammate and visit shed light on Jaromir Jagr's Pittsburgh future.

theathletic.com

Cool to read that Jagr asked about Lange. Video message was a nice touch. I'm glad they're doing this while he's still around.

From that Athletic story --

Tom McMillan, who had covered Jagr as a Penguins beat reporter for a Pittsburgh newspaper, broached the subject a few years back at the NHL 100 ceremony. Theirs had been a good relationship, so as Jagr mingled with former teammates, McMillan, now the team’s VP of communications, took the opportunity to deliver a message.

“I told him then that we want to retire his number,” McMillan said. “I said to him then: ’68 belongs up with 66, your number next to Mario’s.”

-----

That was in 2017. This is not an FSG thing. Jagr just finally agreed.

Yeah thats who I was thinking of. McMillan has been trying to do this for years.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

I mean, we have stopped selling out, it is a good marketing strategy.

Jagr was a great player, so, cool, he deserves it.

I am not excited about it, but I am not mad either. Nice to get him back home I guess.

 

[Gurglesons]

I mean, we have stopped selling out, it is a good marketing strategy.

Jagr was a great player, so, cool, he deserves it.

I am not excited about it, but I am not mad either. Nice to get him back home I guess.

Same take as me. Jagr is a footnote in the franchise’s history. Which is insane.

 

[Ryder71]

Sure hope that isn't a prank call.

 

[Pancakes]

I mean, we have stopped selling out, it is a good marketing strategy.

Jagr was a great player, so, cool, he deserves it.

I am not excited about it, but I am not mad either. Nice to get him back home I guess.

I honestly don't get not being super excited and even a little emotional about this. We all grew up adoring this player.

I get that he left under difficult circumstances but to me this is like the estranged son coming home. I dunno, I might shed a tear about this, and I don't usually get quite that emotional about sports. But Jagr was part of so many great childhood memories for me.

Sid and Geno's retirement ceremony will f*** me up even more but Jagr is still gonna hit me in the feels.