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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is widely considered as the flagbearer of old pro athletes who are still on active duty, but hockey legend Jaromir Jagr wants the seven-time Super Bowl winner to hold his beer. Perhaps not many still know that Jagr is still playing professionally, albeit outside of the NHL. Jagr, 49, is still part of a pro team back in his home country of the Czech Republic, where is the playing-owner of the Czech Extraliga club, Kladno Knights.
Asked why he continues to skate professionally despite his age, Jaromir Jagr gave an altruistic reason outside of his pure love of the sport, per Pavel Barta of The Hockey News:
Article Continues BelowDo you know why I’m still playing?” he asked when explaining what drives him. “I have a responsibility to the club, otherwise I wouldn’t fly here and I wouldn’t be making a fool of myself. But if I quit, the partners and sponsors would leave and the club may be done. I have no choice. People don’t understand it, but I don’t care. Only God will judge me. I expect much more from myself, and I also believe that I have it in me.”
Jaromir Jagr is a treasure not just in the world of hockey but across all sports. He's close to fulfilling what only a few pros have ever pulled off, as he's likely to still be playing by the time he turns 50 in February 2022.
Jagr carved out a 24-year career in the NHL, most of which he spent with the Pittsburgh Panthers. The last time he played in the top league in the world was in 2017-18 season when he showed up for 22 games and scored a goal to go with six assists.
Jaromir Jagr is third on the all-time list of NHL leaders in goals with 766 goals. Only Gordie Howe (801) and Wayne Gretzky (894) had found the back of the net more times than the mulleted legend.
