Lemieux 'absolutely' could see Penguins retiring Jagr's number
It might seem like a no-brainer, but Mario Lemieux appears open to the idea of Jaromir Jagr's No. 68 one day hanging from the rafters in Pittsburgh.
“Oh, absolutely. He’s been a big part of our franchise,” Lemieux said Friday when asked if he could envision Jagr being immortalized in this manner, according to Yahoo Sports' Sean Leahy.
“He’s won two (Stanley Cup championships) in Pittsburgh," the Penguins co-owner added. "He’s a Hall of Famer, by far, and I’m sure he’ll be up there eventually.”
Jagr played 11 seasons with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Washington Capitals in 2001. Despite an apparently acrimonious departure at the time and a rude welcome upon his return to Pittsburgh (and the NHL) with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2011, there's no denying his place in the Penguins' franchise lore.
Here's where the ageless forward sits on the club's all-time lists:
| Category | Franchise Rank | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2nd | 439 |
| Assists | 2nd | 640 |
| Points | 2nd | 1079 |
| Game-Winning Goals | 1st | 78 |
| Shots on Goal | 2nd | 2911 |
| Games Played | 2nd | 806 |
The man ahead of Jagr in most of those categories, of course, is Lemieux himself, one of only two players, along with the late Michel Briere, to have his number retired by the Penguins.
Jagr is obviously still playing for the Florida Panthers, so it's a bit of a moot point until he retires, but Lemieux's status in the Penguins' board room means his comments are relevant, regardless of how non-committal or speculative these may have been.