As Penguins celebrate Jagr, Crosby authors his own chapter as ageless wonder

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Penn. — Floating around the ice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, under the watchful eyes of the hundreds packing the stands at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ practice facility, Kris Letang knew he had to seize his moment.

Skating just ahead of him was Jaromir Jagr, clad in a black practice jersey, a Penguins logo once again emblazoned on his chest. Letang and Co. found out only hours earlier on Saturday morning that the 52-year-old franchise legend would be taking the ice with them, a nostalgic spin ahead of the ceremony on Sunday that will see Jagr’s No. 68 raised to the rafters at PPG Paints Arena.

Letang, sporting a mulleted wig underneath his helmet, drifted over to the veteran and gave him a tap.

“I have to say something,” Letang told Jagr, beaming. “All my life, I wore ‘68.’ No joke.”

The former Norris Trophy nominee — who’s become a franchise stalwart in his own right as the third pillar of the Penguins’ current era, alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin — chose No. 58 when he began his big-league career nearly two decades ago. Saturday, he revealed why he chose those particular digits.

“It was close — obviously I was not going to take 68, but 58 was close enough,” the defenceman told Jagr. “You were my guy growing up.”

It was an unforgettable afternoon for the Penguins defender, who got assurances from Jagr that the vet would sign his jersey after Sunday’s ceremony — and it was a special one for all else who were part of the rare Saturday-afternoon era blending, too.

Twenty-three years after he last donned a Penguins jersey, there was Jagr spinning around the rink with the puck on his stick, sharing a moment with Crosby here, Malkin there.

“It was just fun. I mean, it’s pretty special, I think, for all of us to be a part of this weekend, to have an opportunity like this today,” Crosby said from the club’s locker room after the skate had wrapped. “We’re just trying to enjoy it, and trying to make it the best experience for him, too."

Ever the timeless wonder, Jagr — who still plays professionally for his hometown club, Kladno, in Czechia — earned a winning scouting report from his Pens successors.

“His hands are still really good,” Crosby said with a grin. “His first shot was post and in — he made it look pretty easy.”

“He looked great,” added Evgeni Malkin. “His wrist shot was probably 100 miles per hour — he’s a really strong guy.”

At one point, out on the ice, Malkin knelt on one knee and simply watched Jagr do his thing, taking in the moment under the arena lights.

“I mean, it’s like a legend on the ice, you know?” Malkin said. “It’s crazy.”

“It’s special,” said Letang. “You know, for us, the ’87 group, he was an icon. Not only on the ice, where it was crazy what he was able to do, but his personality and everything that he brought to the game.”

“When you look at the history of hockey, he’s somebody that you’re always going to think about,” said Crosby. “And the fact that he played here, and had the impact that he did here, what he was able to accomplish over his whole career, it’s incredible. … You know, there’s a lot of pride that comes with playing for this team, for a lot of reasons — and he’s one of them.”

For the man of the hour, though, it was the chance to connect with a different black-and-gold icon that served as the day’s highlight.

“He was sitting down, and him and Sid were just chatting about hockey,” Letang said. “The first thing he said when he came in was, ‘I came to see this guy — he keeps getting better with age!’”

It’s been decades since the torch was officially passed to Crosby by former captain and Penguins legend Mario Lemieux, since the Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, phenom took his place as the new face of the franchise, of the sport, and delivered everything asked of him to the city of Pittsburgh.

But out on the sheet Saturday, you couldn’t help but see shades of another Pens legend in the chapter Crosby is currently authoring.

Long considered the heir to No. 66, there’s a bit of No. 68, too, in how Crosby has continued to thrive as the years wear on. The captain put to bed any notion of a slowdown last season, coming up with a 93-point effort for Pittsburgh, his most productive campaign in nearly half a decade. This season, it’s been more of the same — through 51 games, Crosby, at 36 years old, has potted 30 goals and 54 points, putting him on pace for nearly 50 goals for only the second time in his career, and on track for nearly 90 points once more.

“He’s got the LeBron [James] effect, where age doesn’t really matter,” New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal said of Crosby during All-Star Weekend. “He’s always going to be one of the best players in the league, no matter how old he is.”

“Sid’s going to be the one-in-a-billion for me because there's no one to compare him to,” former Penguin Bryan Trottier told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette earlier this month. “It’s what he did at 18 and what he's doing at 36, and what he might do at 46. He might be the modern-day Gordie Howe that just goes on and on.”

For Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, seeing Jagr spin around the ice Saturday served as a reminder of all that goes into earning the type of longevity he found. Surely, seeing the original black-and-gold timeless wonder surely sparks more appreciation for the club’s current one, too.

“I think it’s just remarkable. You think about how difficult this game is, just physically, to get up and down the ice. The fine motor skills that it takes to execute at such a high level, at such a high pace. It’s not just that he’s playing — he’s playing at a high level,” the Penguins coach said of Jagr, though the sentiment certainly holds true for his captain as well.

“I think it speaks volumes for his ability, his talent level — but maybe even more so, his love for the game, and his passion to want to play. Because there’s a cost associated with playing at a high level. You have to train hard, you have to dedicate yourself, and be committed to working at it all the time. ... When you listen to him talk, he talks about how he loves the game. But you know, that’s not lip service. He sincerely loves the game — because he’s still willing to pay the price to play at such a high level.

“Whenever you have a player of that stature, who’s accomplished what he’s accomplished, I think he’s an inspiration to all of us."