One of the early scouting reports on Jagr came from Jack Button, the Washington Capitals’ director of player personnel who’d traveled to Czechoslovakia to scout Jagr in the 1980s
.
Jack Button: “You couldn’t take your eyes off him. It doesn’t take a genius to see how strong he is, how fast he is. And super hands— great quickness with both hands and wrists.”
In the 1990 draft, some uncertainty surrounded whether or not he would be able to come to North America to play, since every Czech in the NHL before had defected. Although given serious consideration by the Quebec Nordiques to go first overall, he fell to fifth and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins. As a 13 year old, Jagr had seen 19 year old Mario Lemieux play in the World Junior Championships held in Prague in 1985 and instantly Mario became his hockey idol.