Jaromir Jagr has overtaken Wayne Gretzky for most total goals

According to the Associated Press, Jagr has now scored 1,099 goals — 844 of which, including 78 in the postseason, came from his 24-year NHL career, during which he won a Hart Trophy and helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win two Stanley Cup titles. Jagr went on to join the Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, and Calgary Flames.

The AP also tallyed Jagr with 107 goals in the Czechoslovak and Czech leagues and 93 in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League. Another 55 was scored at the Olympics — where Jagr was a gold medalist in 1998 — at World Championships and other international competitions.

Gretzky has 1,098 goals, including his all-time 894 in 20 NHL regular seasons, plus 122 more in the playoffs. In his only season in the World Hockey League before his Edmonton Oilers moved to the NHL, Gretzky scored 56 regular season and playoff goals. He’s basketed the cookie 26 times between Canada Cup, World Cup and World Championship appearances, according to the AP.

While Gretzky retired from the NHL at age 38 — possibly missing out on some productive years since he had led the league in assists in each of the previous two seasons — Jagr entered the NHL by his 45th with 1,921 points, just second League annals by Gretzky’s mark of 2,857 after the Flames transferred him to the Czech team he took over from his father as majority owner in 2011.

Since then, Jagr has continued to play for Kladno, his hometown club for which he made his professional debut in 1988. In 2021, Jagr told Hockey News he still plays for Kladno out of “responsibility to the club”.

“Otherwise I wouldn’t fly here and wouldn’t make a fool of myself,” he said at the time. “But if I quit, the partners and sponsors would go and the club could be done. I have no choice. People don’t understand, but I don’t care. Only God will judge me. I expect a lot more from myself and I believe I have it in me.”

On Sunday, Jagr showed he still had some of his old skills, parrying a Trinec defender to collect a puck behind the net, popping out on one side of the keeper and deftly sliding the puck past his other side.

Ovechkin was last seen at last Saturday’s NHL All-Star Game, a day after he shared the ice with his 4-year-old son Sergei during a skill competition.

When Ovechkins Capitals resume their regular season on Saturday, he will look to add to his 812 total regular-season goals. That leaves him just 82 behind Gretzky, and the 37-year-old Ovechkin could pass him for a new NHL record if he maintains his scoring pace for another two, maybe three, seasons.

As far as assists go, no one seems to come close to Gretzky’s NHL record or whatever his overall performance as a pro plus international tournament. Since hanging up his skates in 1999, it’s often noted that Gretzky’s assists alone — 1,963 total during the regular season — are more than any other NHL player total score.

Ron Francis, who played for the Penguins, Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes, is a very distant second with 1,249 assists. Jagr ranks fifth all-time with 1,155 assists and fourth in goals scored (766) and games played (1,733).