Penguins to retire legend Jaromir Jagr's No. 68 jersey on Feb. 18

The Pittsburgh Penguins will retire the No. 68 jersey of the Czech right winger Jaromir Jagr during the game against the Los Angeles Kings at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 18, 2024, the team announced on Friday.

"Pittsburgh, I'm coming home," Jagr said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Having been drafted by the Penguins with the fifth pick in 1990, Jagr played more than 11 seasons on the team and tallied 1,079 points in 806 games. He helped the team win the Stanley Cup Finals back-to-back in 1991 and 1992.

Jagr has played on a total of nine National Hockey League (NHL) teams during his 24-year-long career and has 766 goals, the fourth-most of all-time and delivered 1,155 assists, the fifth-most, in 1,733 regular-season games, the fourth-most. Only Wayne Gretzky has recorded more points (2,857) than he did (1,921), but even Gretzky couldn't match Jagr in scoring game-winning goals. His record of 135 beats everyone else in league history.

Despite his legendary career as a Penguin, the relationship between Jagr and the team is not all love and happiness. He was traded to the Washington Capitals in 2001 by the Penguins which then entered a rebuild. He played three years in Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) between 2008 and 2011. During that period, he expressed more than once the interest of returning to the NHL, including joining the Edmonton Oilers and going back to Pittsburgh.

However, when Jagr returned to the NHL in 2011, he played in Pittsburgh again, but as a member of the Flyers, the rival team of the Penguins. Home fans at PPG Paints Arena booed him when the Flyers visited.

The Penguins have retired only three numbers, the No. 21 of Michel Briere, the No. 66 of Mario Lemieux and the No. 99 of Gretzky, but the final one was retired by all teams. Fans who attend the game on February 18, 2024, will get a replica Jagr No. 68 banner. Those who go to PPG Paints Arena to watch their game against the San Jose Sharks on March 14, 2024, will get a commemorative Jagr bobblehead.