Jaromir Jagr: The Heart of Kladno Hockey
Kladno, Czechia — Nestled 30 kilometers northwest of Prague, Kladno is home to a 5,200-seat hockey arena set in a picturesque forest clearing. This is the birthplace of Jaromir Jagr, the legendary hockey player who amassed an impressive 1,921 points over 1,733 NHL games, winning five Art Ross trophies and two Stanley Cups along the way. Now, at 52 years old, Jagr is not just a local hero but the lifeblood of the Kladno hockey team, the Rytiri Kladno, which he played for as a teenager and now owns.
On a chilly Tuesday night in early October, Rytiri Kladno faced off against Ocelari Trinec, the reigning champions of the Czech Extraliga and one of the wealthiest clubs in the league. In stark contrast, Kladno has struggled to remain in the top tier of Czech hockey, fighting relegation for the past three seasons. Without Jagr’s star power to attract crowds and sponsors, the team might not even exist today. Remarkably, he continues to play as a third-line right winger.
“There’s legends and then there’s someone who does more, better, tries to improve every time,” said Eduards Tralmaks, Kladno’s leading goal scorer from the previous season. “You would think at this point in life he has nothing to prove but every time I talk to him he says, ‘That’s not true. I will get better.’”
This marks Jagr’s 37th season of professional hockey, and he recently announced that it will be his final one. He made this decision during the summer, having not played a full NHL season since 2016-17 with the Florida Panthers. James Reimer, the Panthers’ goalie that season, reminisces about Jagr’s youthful exuberance even at 45.
“He would always fool around after practice,” Reimer recalled. “He wanted to stay on the ice extra and dink around like a kid. He just can’t get enough ice. So many times after practice we would be doing breakaways or practicing different shots and he would say, ‘Hey, Reims, I’m going to show you this move that worked in the ’90s. This was a guaranteed goal.’ He’d come and do it and I’d stop it and he’d say, ‘Oh, well, the game has changed.’”
The following year, Jagr played 22 games for the Calgary Flames but was then loaned back to Kladno. He didn’t receive the grand farewell tour typical for retiring players, as he simply wasn’t ready to hang up his skates. Instead, he lifted his Czech team back into the Extraliga’s top division, where they’ve remained since 2021.
Last season was challenging for Jagr; he played only 15 regular-season games, recording no goals and four assists. He even took a multi-week break to celebrate his jersey retirement in Pittsburgh. Weighing in at around 270 pounds, he looked like he might be nearing the end of his remarkable run. However, during the qualification round to avoid relegation, Jagr broke Gordie Howe’s record, becoming the oldest player to take regular shifts in a professional game and the oldest to score a professional goal. This accomplishment reignited his passion for the game, motivating him to aim for a stronger farewell season in 2023-24.
“A lot of people, it’s not like they’re done because they don’t like hockey anymore,” Tralmaks noted. “They just want to live a normal life. For him, normal life is this.”
Part of Jagr’s allure is how he convinced Tralmaks to re-sign with Kladno. After a stellar 21-goal season, the 27-year-old Latvian had other options, but a FaceTime call from Jagr changed everything. Jagr assured him that he would be back in better shape and that this would be his final season. Upon hearing that, Tralmaks knew he couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else.
“We’ve kind of built our relationship to where it feels so natural but then when you get home and you’re drinking coffee you’re like, ‘How the hell am I friends with this guy? How am I playing for this team?’” Tralmaks expressed. “It’s something that I would say is like a dream that I never really dreamt of.”
How else can one describe the experience of playing alongside someone who had already won two Stanley Cups and an Art Ross Trophy before you were born? The next oldest player on Kladno’s roster is 15 years Jagr’s junior, while the youngest was born in 2004—well after Jagr had already played 14 seasons in the NHL. With nine players on the roster less than half his age, the prospect of being recruited by the legendary player himself adds a unique twist to the team’s dynamic.
- “My agent said, ‘Hey Jagr wants you,’” Tralmaks recounted. “He didn’t say, ‘Kladno wants you.’ He said, ‘Jagr wants you.’ I’m like, ‘Jagr wants me? I thought he was a player.’ But to be honest, he’s everything here. He’s head of everything. Everything goes through him.”
Newcomers to Kladno are understandably awestruck by Jagr’s presence. The combination of playing for and with a hockey icon is a surreal experience.
- “You definitely want to get on his good side,” said Griffin Mendel, a recent addition to the team. “I want to get some stuff signed for friends and stuff but I don’t want to be super annoying.”
- “There’s this aura around him,” Tralmaks added. “If there was a hockey Jesus, this guy is as close as it gets.”
Despite being the owner, Jagr seamlessly blends in with his teammates. He plays on the third line and contributes to the second power-play unit, quick to chirp teammates and take banter just as easily.
“He doesn’t think he’s better than anyone,” said Kladno center Mitch Hults. “He treats everyone the same and that’s cool to see. It’s easy for someone like that to walk in and think, ‘I’m too cool for this.’ But he really jokes around with everyone.”
When Jagr is on the ice, he commands attention. There are glimpses of the old Jagr in his Kladno jersey; while he skates slower, his stride remains familiar. Though bursts of speed are rare, his sharp hockey intellect compensates for his physical limitations. He protects the puck with the same finesse as in his prime, and his passes are as precise as ever. He still crashes the net with fervor, and when he has the puck, the potential for something extraordinary is always present. In many ways, his continued presence in professional hockey is akin to magic.
Jagr’s daily habits are legendary. His unconventional workout routines and pregame warmups have become a topic of fascination among teammates. One player remarked, “There’s exercise science and then there’s Jagr science.” He performs sprints in full gear with a resistance band, engages in quick feet drills with skates and ankle weights, and even bench presses while holding the barbell like a hockey stick. Every aspect of his training is laser-focused on hockey, and he often shares snippets on his social media.
“This is like a science fiction movie,” Tralmaks mused. “This has to be in some documented history. They need to study this guy. They need some doctors or psychologists to come in and study this guy, because he’s an alien. He’s not a f—— human being.”
Jagr expressed a desire to play in every exhibition game, but a torn hamstring limited his participation. Doctors informed him that a younger player would take four weeks to recover, while a 52-year-old might require six weeks without skating. Jagr, however, had other plans.
“You think he took those four to six weeks?” Tralmaks questioned. “Three days later he was on the ice skating by himself, shooting pucks. In two or three weeks he was already on the ice with us. He’s not taking that advice. If something hurts he says, ‘No, it doesn’t hurt, it’s in your head.’”
Jagr has missed just one game this season and has already contributed a goal and two assists, with Kladno sitting in sixth place in the league standings. During the game against Ocelari Trinec, a trainer massages Jagr’s legs between shifts to keep him loose and prevent cramping. Jagr remains vocal from the bench, encouraging teammates, arguing with referees, and chirping opponents.
“He’s living and breathing it,” said Kladno defenseman Phil Pietroniro. “It’s his DNA.”
Despite facing a late penalty, Kladno secured a thrilling 3-2 victory, igniting jubilant celebrations among fans. Players emerged from the ice, singing and chanting in unison, with Jagr among the loudest, rallying the team and staff for a postgame photo and video. On this night, he had no time for interviews, as friends and sponsors clamored for his attention.
Jagr has transformed the Kladno arena into a hub of hockey culture. A major renovation in 2022 upgraded facilities with a new roof, insulation, air conditioning, and improved seating. He even modified the ice surface to cater to his unique playing style. The fan shop serves as a tribute to Jagr, with merchandise adorned with his face, from pucks to T-shirts, drawing fans to the rink on game nights. The merchandise featuring Jagr outnumbers items with Kladno’s logo.
Much of Kladno’s funding stems from Jagr’s efforts. His personal touch with sponsors has been vital in securing financial backing, especially in a town lacking the major corporations that support larger teams like Ocelari Trinec or Sparta Praha. Jagr’s drawing power is a significant asset for Kladno.
This raises questions about the future once Jagr steps away from the ice. The Pittsburgh Penguins have expressed interest in hiring him, but doing so might require him to sell his beloved Kladno team. Without his hands-on presence, sponsorships and fan attendance may dwindle. Jagr feels a deep responsibility to the team and the community, having taken over from his father.
- “I’m not fully convinced he would sell the team,” Tralmaks commented. “He doesn’t have children, but this is the closest thing to his child. This is his team. He takes care of it. This is his legacy, too. Without Jagr, I don’t know if this team would exist.”
Thanks to Jagr, Kladno is in a much better position than when he first returned. Former NHL players like Tomas Plekanec and Jakub Voracek, both from Kladno, may be potential successors if Jagr pursues opportunities in North America.
For now, however, Kladno’s players are focused on cherishing every moment they have with Jagr. Many remain skeptical that he will actually retire at the season’s end, believing it when they see it.
“It’s like Brett Favre, right?” Hults remarked.
Reality will eventually set in, and these players will have the unique experience of saying they were part of Jagr’s final professional season.
- “I could have never told you I would play with Jags, ever in my life,” Pietroniro said. “I would have laughed at you.”
- “You’re in the history books a little bit. It would be cool to get an assist or something on his last goal,” added Mendel.
Tralmaks appreciates the special moment he is living in. After the early October game, he stayed late at the rink, chatting about Jagr for over an hour with the janitor who had finished cleaning. Recently, Jagr and Tralmaks were the last two players at the rink, shooting pucks when they discovered there was no food left. Jagr suggested they head to McDonald’s, where the cashier was astounded to see the hockey legend walk in just before midnight.
“Everyone in the restaurant was staring,” Tralmaks recalled. “For me, it was just another night with my friend, talking about hockey and life.”
Tralmaks hopes to keep in touch with Jagr long after his playing days are over. “I just hope he doesn’t forget me in five or 10 years, so I can be like, ‘Hey Jags, how’s it going?’”
(Photo illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; photo: CTK via AP Images)