Jaromir Jagr’s legendary hockey career may have finally reached its end.
The Athletic’s Rob Rossi reported Thursday that Jagr said he plans to retire after the 2024-25 Czech Extraliga season in a phone interview.
Jagr is currently playing with his hometown team the Kladno Knights, which he also owns.
Rossi also reported that Jagr referred to his “last season” in an Instagram post on Tuesday, hinting at an impending retirement.
The 2024-25 season marks the 37th professional season of Jagr’s storied career. In the Knights’ opening game of the season on Wednesday night, he set up a power-play goal, the only one Kladno scored in a 5-1 away loss to Pardubice.
It was the first time Jagr had played in a season 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 now owns.
The Pittsburgh Penguins retired Jagr’s No. 68 jersey last season. He spent 11 of his 24 NHL seasons with the Penguins and put up 439 goals and 1,079 points in 806 regular-season games.
Pittsburgh traded Jagr to Washington before the 2001-2002 campaign. He would play another 13 seasons after that, including stops with the Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers and Flames.
In 1,733 regular-season NHL games, the six-foot-three, 230-pound winger, who isn’t yet eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame because he continues to play pro, registered 766 goals, 1,155 assists and 1,921 points.
If Jagr does indeed retire after this season, he will be eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame in three years and is expected to be a first-ballot member of the class of 2028.
— With files from the Associated Press