Wednesday, June 27, 2001
By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
As recently as two weeks ago, Jaromir Jagr was still clinging to the notion that he might remain with the Penguins.
No more.
In a wide-ranging news conference yesterday at his sports bar in Prague, Jagr told Czech reporters he finally believes he has passed the point of no return and is looking forward to being traded.
"There's no way back,"
he said in his native Czech tongue. "There's nothing to discuss. I want a trade,
and so does Pittsburgh.
It's the best solution for both sides."
Jagr said that before
he left Pittsburgh last week, he stopped by Mellon Arena to collect his belongings
from the Penguins' locker
room.
"I saw people there I've known for such a long time," he said. "Some of them had tears in their eyes."
Jagr did not address Penguins owner Mario Lemieux's revelation last week that Jagr had asked to be traded again after the season. That marked Jagr's third trade request of the season.
He did allow yesterday
that there is a minute chance General Manager Craig Patrick could find another
solution aside from
trading him, adding that teammate Martin Straka firmly believes this
will be the case. Jagr seemed far less certain.
"I don't think this would
be the right solution," he said. "As soon as the first problems come next season,
I will find myself under pressure from the media again. 'Jagr is to blame,'
the press would write. 'Why haven't we traded him?' 'Why haven't we
obtained some other players?'"
Jagr addressed a few other topics. His comments above and those that follow were translated by Ladislav Verecky, a features writer at Mlada Fronta Dnes, the Czech Republic's largest daily newspaper.
Friday, May 25, 2001
By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
If this was Jaromir Jagr's last official act as a member of the Penguins, he succeeded in making it a low-profile one.
He was the last to arrive for the team's annual end-of-season meeting at Southpointe yesterday, pulling into the parking lot at 12:01 p.m. for a session scheduled to start at noon. On his way into and out of the building, he walked briskly past reporters and a few autograph seekers without comment. As he drove off, a few of the autograph seekers expressed their discontent.
Jagr's personal life has come under scrutiny of late, particularly his oft-documented penchant for gambling and investing in the stock market. But neither the Penguins' management nor the players would confirm any knowledge yesterday of off-ice issues that might have affected Jagr's performance in the Stanley Cup playoffs, in which he had two goals in 16 games.
I wasn't aware of anything," General Manager Craig Patrick said. "I don't get into people's personal lives."
"There were no problems that I know of, but I'm not really that tight with him," defenseman Bob Boughner said. "I mean, I think he had a lot of stuff on his mind, but I think he brought a lot of that on himself when he asked to be traded earlier in the season. I could be wrong, but I don't think it's the team that wants to trade him."
"I don't really know him close enough to say too much," right winger Alexei Kovalev said. "He still won the scoring title and had a great season, but he wasn't very happy. Maybe it was something personal in his life, that he wasn't happy with what he was doing."
Nineteen of the 25 Penguins who finished the playoffs -- with the exception of owner Mario Lemieux -- can become free agents July 1. Most of them are restricted, meaning the club will retain their rights, but that didn't keep a few of them from fretting they might not return next season.
Most prominent in the restricted category are Kovalev, center Robert Lang, defenseman Darius Kasparaitis, left winger Martin Straka and goaltender Johan Hedberg.
"I hope I'm still here," Kovalev said. "I've been looking for a chance like this all my life, to be free to play my game. This was my big chance to be the player I knew I could be. This is where I want to be, so I hope everything works out."
"We all hope to be back," Lang said of himself, Straka and Kovalev, linemates nearly all season. "This has been the best time of our lives."
The only unrestricted free agents -- those eligible to test the open market -- are Boughner, left winger Kevin Stevens, left winger Josef Beranek, defenseman Marc Bergevin and goaltender Garth Snow.
"There are going to be changes this summer, I'm sure, but we're hoping we can keep this team together," Boughner said. "We fell short of our goal this year, but there's another step we can make next year."
Wednesday, May 16, 2001
PITTSBURGH --
Jaromir Jagr, likely down to his last few games with Pittsburgh, said Wednesday he expects the Penguins to trade him after this season "because it would probably be the smart thing to do."Jagr, whose $9.4 million salary accounts for nearly one-third of the team's payroll, said it is unrealistic to expect the Penguins can afford to keep him and re-sign key free agents such as Alexei Kovalev, Robert Lang, Martin Straka and Bob Boughner.
"You look at the plusses and minuses, and we've got a lot of free agents and a lot of good players who have to be signed to have a good team again," said Jagr, a five-time NHL scoring champion and one of the most popular players in franchise history. "I think it would probably be the smart thing to do (to trade him). You have a chance to sign another four to five great players.
"I've got to get ready for something else (after this season)."
Asked where he might land in an offseason deal, Jagr said it could be "anywhere, anywhere. I think it's realistic (to expect a trade). It's what I think, it's what I feel. "
Penguins owner-player Mario Lemieux hasn't discussed Jagr's status, and Jagr said he hasn't talked to Lemieux about it. However, Lemieux has said a franchise that was in bankruptcy less than two years ago won't exceed its budgeted payroll next season, when Jagr's salary increases to more than $10 million.
Because he might wind up with a team that doesn't reach the postseason -- Jagr never has missed the playoffs in his 11 NHL seasons -- he is trying to do everything to get back to the Stanley Cup finals with Pittsburgh.
"We won it my first two years here, in 1991 and 1991," Jagr said before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Thursday night against New Jersey. "I'd like to win it in (the last year)."
Jagr's determination to play for the cup again is one reason why is frustrated by a sprained right shoulder that has taken most of the power out of his strong wrist shot, forcing him to be more of a playmaker than a scorer. He hasn't scored a goal in the Penguins' last four games.
"I don't know how to explain it," said Jagr, who is only 15th in playoff scoring with two goals and 10 assists in 13 games. "Right now, I have to play a different role on the team until I start scoring again. I have to try to do the little things, play along the boards, pass the puck, skate with the puck, it's different for me. It's the playoffs, and I've got to do everything to help the team. I'm not fighting for a scoring title.
"We're winning right now, and I still have confidence in myself. Soon, if I get one or two (goals), I'm going to get a bunch. I still believe that."
One reason that Jagr is optimistic his scoring touch will return is the pain that kept him out of two games against Buffalo has dissipated.
"It feels pretty good now, I didn't take any pills (for Game 2 Tuesday), I didn't take anything," he said. "It's like the pain isn't there. The power is not there at all, but the good news is the pain isn't there."
Monday, May 14, 2001
ESPN.com news services
PITTSBURGH -- Penguins winger Jaromir Jagr said he's taking painkillers even though he vowed not to after the season ended last year.
Jagr missed Games 2 and 3 against the Sabres with a sore shoulder. He began getting injections before the remaining games in the series.
The Penguins captain said he tries not to think about the ramifications of taking painkillers.
"It's stupid when you think about it," Jagr told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "But that's just it, you don't think. You just do it. There's so much at stake and so much pressure to play. It just seems like what's at stake now is more important than what might happen in the future."
Jagr said he had a lot of health problems last year after the season ended because of the pain medication he was taking for a groin injury.
"You take (pills), and it doesn't go directly to your injuries, but it will shut down your body. I was going to sleep, and I was kind of tired. That's the kind of effect it had," Jagr said. "But if you go directly to the injury, like a shot, I think it will be better for you.
"Actually, I don't take (pills) anymore. It hurts, but at least you know if you're hurt or not. With the (pills), you don't find out until the next day if you're hurt or not. At least (with a shot) I know right after the game what happened."
The Penguins play the New Jersey Devils in Game 2 of the conference finals on Tuesday. The Penguins trail the series 1-0.
Brian A. Shactman, who covers the NHL for ESPN.com, contributed to this report
November 14, 2000
Three years ago, Joe Mullen scored his 500th career goal in Colorado. So it was only fitting that the night Mullen was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame that Jaromir Jagr reached his own milestone in the Mile High City.
Jagr recorded two goals, including the 400th of his career, but the Penguins fell to the Avalanche, 3-2, in overtime.
Colorado jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on Joe Sakic's sixth goal of the season, but Jagr evened things at 7:21 of the second with his 12th of the year.
Milan Hejduk put the Avalanche back in the lead after two, with his ninth of the season. But it didn't take Jagr long to even things back up.
Just 43 seconds into the third, Jagr took a Jan Hrdina pass and beat Patrick Roy for #400.
Sakic, on just his second shot of the evening, beat Garth Snow with just 1:04 left in the extra period to give the Pens their first OT loss of the year.
