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Penguins legend Jaromir Jagr, 52, plans to retire after 37th professional season

Former Pittsburgh Penguins player Jaromir Jagr stands at center ice and waves to fans after skating during warm ups after having a banner with his retired uniform number raised to the rafters of PPG Paints Arena in February. Jagr said Thursday he plans to retire after this season in the Czech Extraliga.

Jaromir Jagr has opened his 37th professional season, with hometown team Kladno Knights in the Czech league.

In what is expected to be his last season, the 52-year-old winger set up a power play goal, the only one Kladno scored in a 5-1 away loss to Pardubice on Wednesday night.

Jagr told The Athletic on Thursday he plans to retire after the current Czech Extraliga season, according to The Athletic.

Jagr spent 11 of his 24 NHL seasons, from 1990-2001, with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who raised his No. 68 jersey into the rafters in February. He could join the organization in a front office capacity after his playing days.

He last played in the NHL in 2017-18. Jagr won the Stanley Cup twice with Pittsburgh, the Art Ross Trophy as the league scoring leader five times and the Hart Trophy as league MPV in 1998. He ranks second in NHL history in points (1,921), fourth in goals (766) and games played (1,733) and fifth in assists (1,155).

Upon retirement, Jagr would be eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame in three years.

Thursday was the first time Jagr had played a season’s opener since the Calgary Flames released the NHL’s second-highest points scorer in 2018. He returned six years ago to Kladno, the team where he made his debut as a teenager and which he owns.

He played at Pardubice despite not being fully fit due to a muscle injury that forced him to interrupt preseason training for four weeks.

Jagr said he needed more games to be back to his best.

“That’s fine, (it was ) the first game,” he told local media.

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