Jaromir Jagr is leaving the NHL and going to play in Russia.
It was seven years ago that we made the trade to bring him to Washington, DC…a lifetime in sports. So much water has gone under the bridge in that time frame. We have a completely different team than the one he played on now.
This press story reminded me of that summer so long ago when we made the trade for Jagr, the hope and promise it represented and the eventuality of how it turned out for our team. Not all big deals and big signings work out. We took a risk. It didn’t work and we have moved on. A lesson learned.
I wish him the best in his new career in Russia.
The day we obtained Jagr, I was certainly excited about the Caps future. In looking back, I think every Caps fan thought he would be the solution to moving on in the playoffs. I have come to believe that his style of hockey just didn’t suit the way the Caps played. He led the team in scoring both seasons he was here and I believe was leading the team in scoring when we traded him away (45 points in 46 games), however, I think we expected him to be a 100 point player and he just couldn’t do it in the environment he was in. Kind of reminds me of the first part of last season, when players were not living up to potential. In comes Boudreau and changes the style of play and the players that worked best in the new system shined. Alexander Semin, Mike Green, and Nicklas Backstrom were all examples of those that worked better in a quicker environment. I doubt Ovechkin and Mike Green would have had the year they had, were it not for opening up the ice by Boudreau. It always made me wonder why people booed Jagr.
Like every Caps fan, I was giddy the day Jagr was acquired and again the day he was dealt. Sort of like how an RV owner feels. Cool the day you get it and relief the day you sell it.
Jagr was a great talent, for whatever reason it just didn’t work out here. Now that he’s out of the NHL, I can take him off my list of Disliked NHL Players and hope he enjoys his time in Russia. I’d like to see him play in the Olympics one more time.
Away from the rink Jagr is a gentleman…at the rink he can be a disruption in the locker room. The only time he has tasted success at a team level was when he wasn’t the biggest talent in the room (i.e. in Pittsburgh with Mario).
A gracious Jagr had the following comment to Ted.
“If I ever have a chance to talk to Ted Leonsis, I would try to explain everything to him,” said Jagr. “I tried my best but it just didn’t work. It’s not like I didn’t try, it just didn’t work. He spent a lot of money to get me there to Washington and for whatever reason I just didn’t play the way they expected me to play.”
In leaving for Russia, Jagr expressed his regrets to Ted for not delivering what was hoped for him.
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=367813
His comments on Ted were:
“Jagr felt bad for Capitals owner Ted Leonsis.”
“If I ever have a chance to talk to Ted Leonsis, I would try to explain everything to him,” said Jagr. “I tried my best but it just didn’t work. It’s not like I didn’t try, it just didn’t work. He spent a lot of money to get me there to Washington and for whatever reason I just didn’t play the way they expected me to play.”
For those of us fans who still enthusiastically boo every touch of Jagr’s puck, it was a nice gesture for Ted.
Thank goodness he only got 71 points this past season. With his move to European hockey, he’ll never have quite the fame he would have had ending his career in North America.
The rush of getting to Dullas Airport that Tuesday to greet Jagr as one of 1,000 stunned Caps fans still doesn’t compare to the giddiness that Ovie gave us this past year.
When was the last time ANY fan of ANY major professional sport said, “I can’t wait until next year,” and mean it?
You have tapped into an energy that will take this franchise to as far as it can ever go. That is looking forward in the best way possible!
I’m following hockey in July, need I say more?