Jaromir Jagr will have his iconic No. 68 raised to the rafters by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. In the hype leading up to the event, Jagr admitted that he told the Vancouver Canucks not to draft him in 1990.
In an article by Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, Jagr talks about his love for Pittsburgh and its meaning.
Gulitti eventually asked him about the rumors that he told the top three teams in the draft not to pick him. Those teams are the Quebec Nordiques, Vancouver Canucks, and Detroit Red Wings.
“You know, I would say, half right, half wrong. Yes, I said that to the first three teams. But Philly, I think (general manager) Bobby Clarke got fired before that and the scouts, and I saw they really wanted me the way they talked. And Pittsburgh said the same thing. Also, there was extra interest with Mario there,” Jagr told Gulitti.
Vancouver hosted the 1990 NHL Draft, and the Canucks had the second overall pick. Owen Nolan went first to the Nordiques before Petr Nedved was selected by the hometown Canucks. Jagr slipped down to No. 5.
Nedved played 222 career games for the Canucks and had 124 points.
Today, Jagr still technically hasn’t retired. Two days ago, he celebrated his 52nd birthday and still plays for a professional team in Czechia, the Kladno Knights.
Before his jersey retirement tomorrow, Jagr attended Penguins practice today and showed everyone he can still play.
Jagr has played 1733 games in the NHL and amassed a staggering 1921 points. He will get his well-deserved honor with the team that drafted him tomorrow night.
Make sure you bookmark THN’s Vancouver Canucks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
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