We've been talking about starting this for awhile and now that the rumors are swirling and we are all Code Red Hide Yo Kids Hide Yo Wife Smuckers Farm Jammed, we figured there was no better time. We're going to run this every day until Jagr finally comes home. We'll try to keep up and not pull a Sidney Crosby in the All Star game and blow it off.
Jaromir. Jagr. Double J. The man, The myth, The Legend. One of the greatest players to ever put on a Penguins jersey. If you keep current Penguins Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin out of the equation Jagr is easily the 2nd greatest player to ever done the Penguins logo. Double J sits behind only Mario Lemieux in almost all of the Penguins all time records. 806 games played (2nd all time), 439 goals (2nd all time), 640 assists (2nd all time), and 1,079 (2nd all time).
The city of Pittsburgh fell in love with Jaromir Jagr and his unreal mullet when he was drafted by the Penguins in the 5th round of the 1990 NHL Draft. Sadly, after 11 seasons of magic on the ice, including 2 Stanley Cups, 5 Art Ross Trophies (4 straight from 1998-2001), 1 Hart Trophy, and 2 Lester B. Peterson Awards that love began to fade. The Penguins were a team struggling financially and with Mario Lemieux making his return from retirement the Penguins being able to afford Jagr became a real issue. Tension in the locker room and with coaches just added to problems. Jagr wanted out. Jaromir Jagr was "dying alive".
July 11, 2001. One of the worst trades in Penguins history. Kris Beech, Michal Sivak, Ross Lupaschuk for Frantisek Kucera and Jaromir Jagr. The dark ages were underway. Penguins fans felt betrayed by Jagr and he became one of the biggest villains for Penguins fans, booing him every time he touched the puck. Jagr spent time in Washington and New York before heading to Russia to play in the KHL. After several years of playing in the KHL, Jagr was set on returning to the NHL. Rumors swirled that Jagr wanted to come back to Pittsburgh and just like that #JagrWatch was on. Pens fans tracked Jagr's plane as he headed to America and called his agent relentlessly. Pittsburgh wanted their hero back.
Things didn't turn out the way anyone in Pittsburgh had hoped as Jagr turned full heel, signing with the Philadelphia Flyers, where he would help eliminate the Penguins from the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Jagr left the orange and black the next season and the hate began to subside. He's spent time Dallas, Boston and he is currently in New Jersey. Jagr is nearing the end of his career and the Devils are a struggling team that will not be able to give Jagr a chance at one last Cup. The crowd clamoring for Jagr to return to the Penguins has gotten louder while the booing of Jagr has never be quieter. The time is now. The time for one of the greatest returns in Penguins history is now. The time for Jagr to come home so the number 68 will forever hang from the Consol Energy Center rafters is now. The time for Jaromir Jagr to return to Pittsburgh so he can end his career with a Stanley Cup is now. The time to #BringHomeDoubleJ, is now.
January 27, 1995:
Pittsburgh Penguins: 5
Ottawa Senators: 4
Jagr scored a goal and an assist in the Penguins victory over the Senators. Not surprisingly Jagr was tied (with Joe Mullen) for the most points in the game for the Pens.
#BringHomeDoubleJ
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