Jaromir Jagr not in for monetary benefits, makes NHL comeback with Philadelphia Flyers –NHL Update
One of the best ice hockey players ever to have lived, Jaromir Jagr has now made an official comeback in the National Hockey League (NHL) by signing with Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, despite offers from other teams which were offering more money.
The now 39-year-old veteran forward left the NHL after playing a full season with New York Rangers back in 2008 and continued playing with Russian leagues for three years before making a comeback in the American major league.
Expected to join his original team, Pittsburgh Penguins, he surprised the whole hockey world when he signed a one-year, $3.3 million contract with a rejuvenated Philadelphia Flyers' franchise.
Nevertheless, when Pittsburgh learned that Jagr was not going to join Flyers, it withdrew its offer a day earlier on Friday.
"I didn't promise anybody anything that I'm going to go back", Jagr said. "If the Pittsburgh Penguins feel I did something wrong, or something bad -- I don't think i did something bad. If they feel like that, I cannot change their minds. I was a free agent
and I had a chance to pick whatever is best for me. I had the option to pick. If somebody wants you or they're telling you that they would like you to be on their team, (it) doesn't mean I have to go there. I still had a choice to make a decision where I wanted
to go”.
Jagr openly admitted that since Philadelphia's general manager, Paul Holmgren, has reenergised his club and changed around the line-up, including adding goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov, to the scene, he thought of this franchise as the best to make a comeback.
Drafted as the fifth overall pick during round-one of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, Jagr led his original team, Pittsburgh Penguins, to two Stanley Cup championships, and contributed one of the highest stats in the league's history, 1,599 points, 646 goals and
953 assists, in 1,273 games.
His comeback to Philadelphia has really put the cherry on-top for the team which is looking to reach the Stanley Cup Finals and emerge successful from losing in 2010 against Chicago Blackhawks.
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