A Personal Goodbye To Jaromir Jagr

Jaromir Jagr shocked the hockey world last week when he announced his decision to leave the NHL to play in the Russian Superleague.

After a few days of mixed emotions over Jaromir Jagr's leaving the NHL, I thought I would do a personal goodbye to the big guy through my column.

I rarely if ever talk about Jagr in my columns. Why? Because I'm the same girl that threatened to kick Colin White's ass when I witnessed him punch Jagr right in front of me when the game was NOT IN PLAY. Literally, you could hear a pin drop and then a mad woman getting ready to climb over the glass and do some serious beat down on Colin White. Ok, so I was sitting next to the Devils bench when I went off my rocker. After I finished my tirade of cursing Colin White out, I glanced over at the Devils' bench and saw the entire team staring at me. Some of the players actually had their mouths hanging wide open in shock.

It took a few seconds before NY Rangers' Martin Straka and Michael Nylander started breaking out into laughter on the ice. Of course, I said to myself, 'this is exactly why you remain quiet when you go to hockey games.' What can I say? I'm extremely overprotective of the big guy. And yes, this was way before I had a hockey column (or two).

My history with Jagr goes all the way back to my first hockey game ever in my life. It was January 3, 2001. I had never been to a hockey game before, but had always wanted to go, so a friend of mine took me along with her after she received a couple of free tickets. I knew even before I showed up at the game that this night was a special night for me. I had no idea why it was, but let's just say looking back now, I see that fate was showing me a glimpse into my future.

That night, I was witnessing the Washington Capitals taking on the Boston Bruins. I didn't know a thing about hockey, so I was asking a ton of questions. One of the reasons why I love being at a home game in Washington, DC is that all the fans know their hockey. It's not just about cheering, it's about talking hockey throughout the game. That night, there was one hockey topic that remained the constant throughout the game. That constant was JAGR, JAGR, JAGR. I walked away from that game knowing that man's statistical performance (both current and past) and his history. I can barely remember who won the game or any other player beyond Olaf Kolzig, but the one thing that became ingrained in my brain was Jaromir Jagr.

Four years later, after being in New York City for only a year (I happened to move to NYC during the lockout), I was given free tickets to sit four rows from the ice at Madison Square Garden - my second hockey game ever in my life. Since I was a kid, I had always wanted to see the New York Rangers play. I even had dreams about the New York Rangers when I was younger (and there's no hockey where I'm from). So this was like a dream coming to fruition...I was going to see the New York Rangers.

My first New York Rangers (and New Jersey Devils) game took place on October 13, 2005. All throughout the game I kept getting this weird feeling. Even to this day, I still can't describe what was going on. All I can say is that for the second time, fate was messing with me all throughout the game.

After Ranger Jed Ortmeyer smiled at me from the ice, I realized that the smile (according to the universe) was meant to capture my attention. Then the next thing I hear after realizing something weird in the universe was going on was, "And that last goal was scored by number 68, Jaromir Jagr." At that moment I sat there thinking...JAGR?!?!?!? Isn't that the guy that played for the Washington Capitals that came from the Pittsburgh Penguins? All at once, those stats from four years prior that I had learned in my first hockey game ever came barreling forward in my rolodex file inside my memory. This in itself was a sign. That big sign in the sky I had been waiting for since I arrived in NYC, now came in the form of a jumbotron in the middle of Madison Square Garden displaying the face of Jaromir Jagr.

And yes, I was beyond weirded out, because for the second time ever, Jagr was playing for my home team...and I had absolutely no idea that he was until I stepped foot in his arena.

Now, that year just so happened to be Jagr's best year in his entire career. This was the year he broke the franchise record for most goals in a single season (I was there the night he broke that record). That season was his finest season ever (well, as far as his stats go), and I was there to witness it all. I felt like I was celebrating right there on the ice with him each time he hit a milestone. Well, I was sitting in the front row, so I guess that would feel like I was right on the ice with him.

I spent many games throughout that season sitting right behind Jagr. The only thing that separated me from him was a walkway between the front row and the bench. He always sat at the end of the bench where there was no glass. I could practically reach out and touch him if I so chose, but that's just creepy.

I remember one night, Jagr was eavesdropping on a phone conversation I was having with a friend of mine. When I picked up the phone and said, "Hello," he had turned around as if I was talking to him. I pointed to my phone and he turned back around. As I was telling my friend about the recent tornado that had gone through my mother's farm, I also told him about how my mother thought that I should start writing about hockey. I told him about how she said that I would probably be a better hockey writer then most of these other writers out there (not that my mother reads anything about hockey). Who knew that as I was telling my friend this while staring at the back of Jaromir Jagr's jersey directly in front of me that I was in fact telling the universe (with Jagr overhearing this) that I was going to be a hockey writer.

It was two years later that I received my first hockey column, and the New York Rangers were a big part of my rookie year as a hockey writer...but so were the New Jersey Devils (remember, they were there that night on October 13, 2005). I've always felt the support from the Rangers throughout my first year as a hockey writer. Sometimes it brings a tear to my eye thinking about how wonderful they've been to me. It was a New York Ranger (Darius Kasparaitis) that offered me my first exclusive interview to kick off my column. I think the world of him for doing that for me. He also helped set the stage for my career in the hockey realm.

Who would have ever known that in my rookie year that I would end up hitting the locker room. Many hockey writers have had to work on their craft for seven to eight years before they are even granted access into that area. Not too many are allowed in the locker room during their rookie year. They usually have to prove themselves worthy before they are even allowed in. But I look at it as the universe smiling back at me telling me that this is my path in life.

Even though I spent the majority of my rookie year consumed with the New Jersey Devils, I realize now that the universe was helping me to let go and be perfectly fine with the decision that the man, who had been so much a part of my hockey life, would make just a few days after my thirty-second birthday. The universe had granted me that one last opportunity to see him in the locker room before he would leave the NHL forever. [I kept quiet when I saw him, because I was compelled to ask him what that crap was on his chin...believe me, I'm thankful for Fedor Tyutin and Nigel Dawes causing a commotion in the hallway, distracting me - I'm keeping mum on what that commotion was over].

I am really going to miss Jaromir Jagr. It just seems like my life in New York City has always included Jaromir Jagr. Every hockey game I ever went to in my life (before Evgeni Malkin entered the league) had Jaromir Jagr in it. I would travel to different cities, just to see him play. My hockey career has always had Jaromir Jagr in it. Now, with him leaving, I feel saddened, but happy that he's going somewhere where he will be taken care of very well. Now, it gives me an excuse to put my Russian to use and start booking a trip to Russia. He hasn't retired, yet!

So Jari, good luck in Russia. You will be greatly missed here in the States. When we see each other again in Russia, please...I beg you...PLEASE do not give me a hard time from the bench. A girl can only take so much on ice teasing. Next time, you could just say congratulations on your hockey column. But yes, I know the irony in it. You were there the night I said it out loud. Who would have known that two years later, fate would happen? I'm just happy you were always a part of my personal treasure in life, as Paulo Coelho would say.

And I do have something to say about Jaromir Jagr's exit from the NHL. In case any of you missed it, this was part of Jaromir Jagr's speech, "And I also want to say to the people like Mike Milbury who made their living by criticizing me all the time, that they can kiss my ass." In remaining a bit P.C. (politically correct), I am just going to say that I am thankful that in these years of the Jagr era that I NEVER even paid attention to the existence of Mike Milbury. I'm glad I never did and I will also continue to ignore his existence, because if I had ever heard him criticize Jagr, that overprotective mad woman that came out at that Devils game would probably resurface, and there's no telling what she would say or do. But Jagr said it much better then I ever would (i.e. he was actually sticking up for himself for once) and made Milbury into a laughing stock in the INTERNATIONAL hockey realm (my friend in the Czech Republic told me it was all over the news there and everyone's been laughing at Milbury). So KUDOS TO YOU, JAGR!