Nothing can prepare you for the end, but some of the NHL's top stars are nearing the end of their playing careers, and the opportunities to witness them in action are dwindling.
Here are three NHL stars whose careers are coming to an end.
Jaromir Jagr
The NHL's oldest player by a comfortable margin, Jagr's second go-around in the league is a blessing for young fans who get an opportunity to marvel at this ageless wonder.
Jagr's increased work ethic has extended his career, and allowed him to hang with a pair of rising stars on the Florida Panthers' top line. During the 2014-15 season, No. 68 tallied 17 goals and 47 points at the age of 42.
In his first NHL run, Jagr earned five Art Ross trophies and climbed to eighth on the list of all-time leading scorers. Following a three-year jaunt to the KHL, Jagr returned to the NHL, and has since moved up to fourth on the all-time points list.
Jarome Iginla
Iginla's game has aged gracefully, and he remains a valuable contributor on an NHL scoring line, but with over 1,400 games under his belt in his 19th season in the league, the clock is ticking for the 38-year-old.
The league's ninth-oldest player and fifth-oldest forward, Iginla is under contract through the 2016-17 season, and will then enter free agency as a 40-year-old.
Iginla has been at the forefront of Canadian hockey for the better part of two decades, playing 16 seasons for the Calgary Flames - serving as captain for nine - and winning two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup of Hockey representing Canada.
Zdeno Chara
It wasn't long ago that Chara's name was mentioned in Norris Trophy discussions, but Father Time caught up with the lurking defenseman in a hurry.
Chara's size and reach allowed him to lock down the defensive zone like few before him, making him an integral part of the Boston Bruins' Stanley Cup-winning squad in 2011, and earning "Big Z" a spot as a Norris finalist in five of the past eight seasons.
At 38 years of age, Chara is the league's seventh-oldest player. He missed 19 games last season after missing a total of 20 in his first eight seasons with the Bruins. It was also the first year he hasn't had a positive plus-minus rating since 2006-07.
