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Watch: Penguins Icon Scores First Goal of Final Season

The Pittsburgh Penguins' legend recorded the first goal of the final professional season of his career.

Jacob Punturi

Feb 19, 2014; Sochi, RUSSIA; Czech Republic forward Jaromir Jagr (68) controls the puck against USA forward T.J. Oshie (74) in the men's ice hockey quarterfinals during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Shayba Arena. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Feb 19, 2014; Sochi, RUSSIA; Czech Republic forward Jaromir Jagr (68) controls the puck against USA forward T.J. Oshie (74) in the men's ice hockey quarterfinals during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Shayba Arena. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images / Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
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Former Pittsburgh Penguins' legend Jaromir Jagr made headlines recently as rumors surfaced that he would play his final professional season in 2023-2024. At age 52, the future Hall of Famer has still been going strong in his native country.

The Penguins' icon has been the owner of the Kladno Knights in the top Czechian hockey league, Czech Extraliga, since 2011. And in that time, he's also been one of the team's players. With professional season number 37 opening up, Jagr again defied the odds and recorded his first goal of the season.

Jagr's been in the news much more over the past year. After a few decades of a sour relationship with his former team, the Penguins honored Jagr by retiring his number in Pittsburgh. In a long overdue move, the team raised his patented number 68 to the rafters of PPG Paints Arena. To top it off, Pens fans were able to watch the team icon skate in the team colors one final time, as he took part in the team's warm-ups after the jersey retirement ceremony.

It was the cap on an NHL career that spanned two different centuries. He appeared in 1,733 NHL games, and despite missing some of his prime years while playing in Europe, Jagr still managed to become the second-highest scoring player in league history. His 1,921 career points rank second to only The Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky.

Now, his professional career that began in 1988 in Kladno, Czechia, is ending there as well. The one thing that's remained the same is that Jagr can put the puck in the net. His size and precision around the net is unmatched, and has been since the last 37 seasons as well. He might not be the player he was in his prime, but to see a 52 year old Jagr still scoring is one of the most incredible things a hockey fan can see.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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