Jaromir Jagr Keeps Defying The Odds

How does this man keep doing the things he's doing. Jaromir Jagr has been one of the top players in all of the hockey world for a very long time now. At 44 years old, playing in the NHL for 22 years (not including playing over in the KHL for three years), he still finds a way to create magic. He's currently tied for the Panthers lead in goals with 21 (Riley Smith also has 21) and he leads the team in points with 48. Last night in a game against the Colorado Avalanche, he picked up an assist, giving him 1,850 points. That total ties him with Gordie how for the 3rd most in the History of the National Hockey League.

Now let the debate begin. Who did it better, Gordie Howe or Jaromir Jagr? Both Howe and Jagr have collected 1,850 NHL points (with Jagr still going). Consider how incredible it is what Gordie Howe was able to do in the world of hockey. He wasn't called "Mr. Hockey" for nothing. Gordie scored his 1,850 points in 26 NHL seasons, and 508 in six seasons with the World Hockey Association. Howe won the Stanley Cup four times, won the Art Ross Trophy six times, won the Hart Trophy six times, and was a finalist on six other occasions. He was a First-Team All-Star 12 times and a Second-Team All-Star nine times. Howe was the original ageless wonder, kicking off his 40s in the 1968-69 season by joining Phil Esposito and Bobby Hull as the first players to finish a season with 100 points. Howe competed against the USSR in the 1974 Summit Series at age 46, led the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association with 96 points in 76 games at age 49, and outscored two-thirds of the NHL's forwards with 41 points at age 51 (NHL). That's playing the game on another level altogether.

Now there's Jagr. In 22 NHL seasons, Jagr won the Art Ross Trophy five times, the Hart Trophy once, and was a finalist on five other occasions. For two decades, from 1980-81 through 2000-01, Jagr was one of three players to win the Art Ross Trophy; Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux were the others. Jagr was a First-Team All-Star seven times, and a Second-Team All-Star once, this in a League that grew from 21 to 30 teams, so there's a lot more competition for those awards than when Howe played in a six-team NHL (NHL). Also the game is way different now then when Howe played. Hell its changed a lot more between now and when Jagr first broke into the league in October 1990.

Also Jagr spent playing three full years in the KHL over in Russia and spent time over three hockey lockouts playing over in Europe. Jagr's point totals would be even higher in the National Hockey League had he played in North America his entire pro career without ever leaving.

Still, its truly amazing that he is not only still going in the NHL today, he's still very productive. He's the Panthers leading scorer. Florida and Tampa Bay are tied atop the division. Just imagine the kind of numbers Jagr in his prime would be putting up today. He's still going strong and its a lot of fun to watch