What Hasn't He Done?

Imagine being this guy for a moment. That, of course, is hockey legend Jaromir Jagr, and if one looks back on the career he's carved out playing the game of hockey there isn't much he hasn't done. He's got his name on the Stanley Cup twice, he's been the NHL's top scorer five times, he was the league's top player once, and he was voted by his peers as the best of all the players three times. He's been an Olympic gold medalist after helping the Czech Republic win in 1998 in Nagano, and he won a pair of IIHF World Championship gold medals in 2005 and 2010 to etch his name into history as a member of the Triple Gold Club. He owns a hockey team in Czechia, and he's a member of the Czech Hockey Hall of Fame. Oh, and he's still playing professional hockey.

If you're Jaromir Jagr, there aren't many accolades left that he can win or earn, so playing at the age of 50 for the club he owns, Rytíři Kladno, is nothing more than a way to stay in shape and have fun, it seems. But after playing at the highest levels of hockey for some 35 years of his life, Jagr admitted that his desire to stay in the game wasn't what it once was, and that he may step away for good this season in an interview with Miroslav Horák of iSport.cz.

Using Google Translate to translate the Czech interview to English, the following questions were asked by Horák to Jagr after Sunday afternoon's game between Mladá Boleslav and Rytíři Kladno which Boleslav won 4-0. The questions are bolded, and Jagr's answers follow.

"How long can you last on the alternator? Is your return to the ice imminent?"

"It's certainly not close. To be honest, I don't even want to go back. If the Winter Classic I promised was held, I'd probably have to force myself to go play. Otherwise it doesn't pull me back. Actually, I don't have the motivation, I don't feel like it."

The translation here messes up the question a little, but Horák basically asked Jagr how long he planned on remaining on the bench (alternator?) rather than dressing as a player. Jagr's answer seems very straightforward in telling Horák that he's simply not feeling any motivation to return to the ice. That's not a good sign if you're hoping Jagr would continue to play.

Horák follows up with another question to Jagr.

"Do you miss playing?"

"At all. I like hockey, but it's hard work. Physically very demanding. I spend a lot more time in the winter than before, mainly because of organizational things. Before the season we were a bit stressed, we had to deal with a lot of issues to even manage the first game. Even if I wasn't the owner and only had hockey to work with, I would still have to handle the problems of playing and coaching. Just focus on hockey. This is more or less impossible. Or I'd have to stop doing the club altogether, which I don't think would help."

Again, Google Translate isn't the best option as "Vůbec" is the statement for "Not at all", not "At all". If we're reading this correctly, Jagr tells Horák that he's had to spend more time simply sorting out a number of issues with respect to running a team, let alone coaching and/or playing. At the end of the day, it sounds like Jagr wants to reduce his workload by reducing the number of hats he has to wear, and that may mean hanging up the skates is the option towards which he's leaning.

Horák continues his line of questioning.

"Are you running out of concentration and energy in your head for a comeback?"

"It's hard to explain. At my age, playing at any level is challenging. Prepare, motivate. Not to mention the need for rest. Thanks to the time spent in the winter and meetings between nine and two in the afternoon, I don't have time to solve myself. Going to train tired then, I physically wouldn't do that."

This might be the most telling of answers that Jagr gives in that he states he works all day in running the club and doesn't want to train or go play in the evening if he's already tired. I'm not saying Jagr's age is catching up with him, but it sounds like Jagr simply doesn't have the energy or drive he once did.

Horák asks his most direct question of Jagr at this point.

"Are you more likely to not play at all?"

"It's possible. Like I say, I'll see how it goes with the Winter Classic. Maybe I'd get a kick out of it, but I don't even feel like it at the moment."

I hate to say it, but Jagr sounds like he's done. That answer makes it almost certain that he won't play this season or, perhaps, ever again. If he doesn't want to play in the biggest game of the season, I'd guess that's he's done.

Horák asks a couple more questions before finishing with a statement that Jagr not only agrees with, but allows him to assess where he is when compared to other players.

"You are extremely honest with yourself."

"I've always tried to be. When I was playing, I used to feel like I was giving it a go and I was getting the hang of it. Now I know I couldn't do it. I'd have to be really extreme to tell myself I'd try. But I don't know if it makes sense to me at the moment."

If he's already used the past tense to describe his playing days, that sounds like a man who has made a decision without publicly revealing it. If Jagr chooses not to lace up the skates this season, it almost sounds like he's already accepted that his playing days are over.

Honestly, though, if we're asking what more Jagr could do, the answer truly is nothing. He's been a winner at almost every level, he's played all over the world, and he's proven that age is just a number by playing until he was 50. If Jagr came back for one more season, it accomplishes nothing other than saying he played one more season. Leaving at 50 seems like the right time for him to make an exit.

If Jagr doesn't play another second of hockey, we've witnessed one of the greatest hockey players of all-time play this game for more than three decades. Waive the mandatory three-year waiting period for the Hockey Hall of Fame because, like Gretzky or Lemieux or Orr or Howe or the six others who have received this honour, there will never be another Jaromir Jagr. Ever.

What hasn't he done? The right answer is officially retire.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!