Jaromir Jagr: From Prodigal Son to Pittsburgh Penguins Ambassador

When it comes to dinner guests, Jaromir Jagr is hard to top.

On Wednesday night in Prague, Jagr joined Kevin Acklin, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ president of business operations, for Acklin’s birthday dinner. The Penguins delegation was in town for the World Championship in Jagr’s home country of Czechia.

Known for his sweet tooth, Jagr was the focus of Acklin’s effort to get him involved with the Penguins in an official capacity.

“His presence is really important to us,” Acklin said in March. “His jersey retirement in Pittsburgh gave us closure. Now we’re hoping to start a new chapter.”

Jagr spent his first 11 seasons with the Penguins, becoming a key part of Pittsburgh’s culture in the 1990s. He evolved from “Mario Jr.”—a nod to his teammate and idol Mario Lemieux—into a two-time Stanley Cup champion and five-time Art Ross Trophy winner. Off the ice, he was just as beloved, following in Lemieux’s footsteps in many ways.

While Lemieux never played for another team and even bought the Penguins to save them from bankruptcy, Jagr spent over 20 years as an NHL nomad, disconnected from his original team and city.

But a lot changed in the past year.

It began with a phone call between Acklin and Jagr, leading to a visit from Jagr last summer. During his trip to Pittsburgh for an autograph show, Jagr toured PPG Paints Arena at Acklin’s invitation. They quickly formed a bond, and Jagr returned to the Czech Republic open to Acklin’s suggestion of retiring his number 68.

This happened in February during what the Penguins dubbed “Jagr Week.” Not only was his jersey retired on February 18, but he also attended two games, practiced with the team, and took a victory lap at the arena.

This erased the “sour taste” Jagr had felt about his controversial departure after requesting a trade following the 2000-01 season. The outpouring of love from fans, former teammates, and current stars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang rekindled the relationship between Pittsburgh and one of its prodigal hockey sons.

“I told him last summer, ‘We boo people in Pittsburgh,’” said Acklin, a lifelong Penguins fan. “I said, ‘Jags, we booed you because we loved you and wanted you back.’

“After that first week in February, he said, ‘Now I understand.’”

In February, Jagr also dined with Lemieux and former teammates at a popular Pittsburgh Italian restaurant and agreed to attend Lemieux’s annual celebrity hockey tournament for the Mario Lemieux Foundation. This brought him back to Pittsburgh twice in a month, though not long enough to see the Penguins recover Jagr bobbleheads stolen by cargo thieves in California in March.

“All part of the legend of Jaromir Jagr,” Acklin said about the bobblehead saga and other “unbelievable Jagr stories.”

“Speeding tickets. Leaving his scoring titles at home and never looking back. The mullet. All those playoff overtime goals. The Kit Kats. His metal music. He was a great hero for our team, then a big villain. Now he’s back, and it’s a love fest again.

“There’s never been anybody like him for our team. He’s Jagr. There’s only one.”

Acklin aims to make the reunion permanent.

Though not yet formalized, Acklin envisioned a role for Jagr where he could spend most of his time in Kladno, Czech Republic, where he lives, owns, and still plays for his hometown team. Jagr would also make regular trips to Pittsburgh, not just as an ambassador but in a more involved capacity.

“I don’t know what it looks like exactly,” Acklin said. “We’ve talked about the future. I told him we’d talk more when I come to Prague for the worlds.

“But clearly this is a relationship that needs to be cultivated.”

Having Jagr in Pittsburgh a few times each season would help distract from the recent downturn on the ice. The Penguins have missed the playoffs for the past two seasons, and even diehard fans are losing optimism.

Acklin said Jagr’s understanding of the business of hockey in Europe would benefit the Penguins. While Kyle Dubas, the Penguins’ president of hockey operations, would decide if Jagr’s role includes hockey duties, Acklin noted the clear advantage of having Jagr involved as Crosby, Malkin, and Letang enter the final stages of their careers.

“He understands the dynamic here with great players and their importance to our fans,” Acklin said. “The changes some of our guys are going through, he’s experienced them.”

At Jagr’s jersey retirement in February, Crosby said, “It would be great to have Jags be a part of the organization if that’s what he wants.”

“The fans’ reaction, but also just being around the guys, showed he brings a presence wherever he goes,” Crosby said. “He’s a huge part of this franchise. When you think of the Penguins, he’s one of the first names that comes to mind.”

The very first is Lemieux, who has distanced himself from the franchise since his ownership group sold to Fenway Sports Group in the 2020-21 season. Friends say Lemieux needed a break after being the Penguins’ everything since he was drafted in 1984. There was also friction between Lemieux and FSG, but this began to ease last season, especially with Jagr’s return.

Lemieux, the Penguins’ icon, has no interest in being a paid ambassador. He retains a small ownership stake but has no daily responsibilities. Jagr might not either, in any future role with the Penguins.

However, just as Jagr succeeded Lemieux as the NHL’s best player in the 1990s, Acklin wants Jagr to follow as the Penguins’ legendary public face.

“He’s got a lot going on,” Acklin said of Jagr, who couldn’t be reached for comment by The Athletic. “But one of those things can be the Penguins.

“It’s Jaromir Jagr. That just makes sense, right?”