Czech star Jagr, 45, inks one-year deal with NHL Flames

Jaromir Jagr, the National Hockey League's oldest player at 45, signed a one-year deal with the Calgary Flames on Monday that will see the Czech star into his 24th NHL campaign.

Jagr, who reportedly also received an offer from the St. Louis Blues, scored 16 goals and set up 30 more playing in all 82 games last season for the Florida Panthers, who could not agree upon a new contract with the right wing for the 2017-18 season.

Two-time Stanley Cup champion Jagr has scored 765 goals and assisted on 1,149 others in 1,711 NHL regular season games. He is only 56 games shy of matching Gordie Howe's record for career NHL contests.

Among NHL legends, only Wayne Gretzky with 894 and Howe with 801 have netted more goals.

Jagr, a 13-time NHL All-Star Game selection, won NHL crowns in 1991 and 1992 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the current Stanley Cup champions.

He also has played for the Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers and Florida.

Jagr might have been further along the career NHL records list had he not missed a season in 2004-05 when the league lost an entire campaign in a money dispute between owners and players. He also played from 2008-2011 for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League.

The Flames begin the NHL season Wednesday at Edmonton.

Source: AFP