Tribute The Stories of Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux

[CRDragon]

My friend has been making content of past NHL superstars in the league. Would love to give him some support as he's been working hard on these during the pandemic. Positive and constructive feedback can help make these videos better! Thanks for watching If these belong elsewhere, please let me know.

Click to read more...

 

[HandshakeLine]

This better have the story about how I saw a prostitute stab a man with a high heel in Jagr’s “restaurant” once.

 

[ronduguayshair]

Trottier has some good Jagr stories if you have ever heard him speak at an event.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I've only watched the Jagr video but enjoyed the pre-NHL history as well as the Olympic background. One thing that I think should've been included was the supposed shady background behind the Pens drafting Jagr. Allegedly, Jagr told the teams before the Pens that he wouldn't be coming to North America but told the Pens otherwise. That is, if I'm remembering correctly.

Also, really liking those Kladno home jerseys.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I've only watched the Jagr video but enjoyed the pre-NHL history as well as the Olympic background. One thing that I think should've been included was the supposed shady background behind the Pens drafting Jagr. Allegedly, Jagr told the teams before the Pens that he wouldn't be coming to North America but told the Pens otherwise. That is, if I'm remembering correctly.

Also, really liking those Kladno home jerseys.

Yup this is true. Mario was his idol and told other teams not to pick him and he wouldn't report to them. He only wanted to play for the Pens.

Remember that this was the early 90's and the Russian/Eastern Europe political landscape was much different than it is now.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yup this is true. Mario was his idol and told other teams not to pick him and he wouldn't report to them. He only wanted to play for the Pens.

Remember that this was the early 90's and the Russian/Eastern Europe political landscape was much different than it is now.

Yeah, word on the street here was that Jágr's camp was reaching out to the Pens way before the draft, pretty much right after the 1989 Revolution happened and the borders opened. This thread reminds me to go take a look at the newspaper archives next time I'm in the library this week, because I'm curious how much of an open secret it actually was.

There probably was also a bribe or two administered to Jágr's family and various officials, but I've also heard that Jágr being Greek Rite Catholic (Pittsburgh is the only other real center of Greek Rite Catholicism in the US) and Pittsburgh being one of the big CZSK expat cities had a bit to do with it. I don't know how much truth there is to that, but that's something I heard countless times at home and here, so...

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Yeah, word on the street here was that Jágr's camp was reaching out to the Pens before the draft, pretty much right after the 1989 Revolution happened and the borders opened. This thread reminds me to go take a look at the newspaper archives next time I'm in the library this week, because I'm curious how much of an open secret it actually was.

There probably was also a bribe or two administered to Jágr's family and various officials, but I've also heard that Jágr being Greek Rite Catholic (Pittsburgh is the only other real center of Greek Rite Catholicism in the US) and Pittsburgh being one of the big CZSK expat cities had a bit to do with it. I don't know how much truth there is to that, but that's something I heard countless times at home and here, so...

If you find anything,please share it. On a personal note, those 90's Pens teams always had a special place in my heart: Jagr, Straka, Lang, Slegr, etc because my Grandparents came from Czechslovakia. I was very close with them- they lived next door, so I thought it was super cool that the team I followed had so many of those guys.

 

[HandshakeLine]

If you find anything,please share it. On a personal note, those 90's Pens teams always had a special place in my heart: Jagr, Straka, Lang, Slegr, etc because my Grandparents came from Czechslovakia. I was very close with them- they lived next door, so I thought it was super cool that the team I followed had so many of those guys.

You're not alone! I became a diehard Pens fan because all of my dad's emigre relatives got into Jágr, Hrdina, and the guys from the old country. Grandpa wasn't super sold on anyone from Kladno ("Je jako Ostravička nebo náhražkový Pittsburgh"/"It's like a little tiny Ostrava, second-rate Pittsburgh"), but I think ancestral prejudices aside, he and his whole generation were just stoked to have players from the Old World here.

 

[Dessloch]

This better have the story about how I saw a prostitute stab a man with a high heel in Jagr’s “restaurant” once.

Did you really see that? And why did the restaurant close? I heard they had problems with the russian mob? Do you know anything about that? The place had a legendary reputation, I wish I could have visited.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Did you really see what? And why did the restaurant close? I heard they had problems with the russian mob? Do you know anything about that? The place had a legendary reputation, I wish I could have visited.

Yeah, I did. I was a young student studying in Vienna who took several trips up to the ancestral homeland, so this was about 2002-2003ish if my memory serves. I think the place closed in the mid-2000s? It was definitely closed by the time I came back to study in Prague in 2009. But Václavák in Prague has long been one of the centers of the sex tourism industry here, so sketchy things are pretty much the norm there.

As far as problems with the Russian mobs, Jágr's alleged problems with them stem also from his gambling habits, or so the rumor goes. YMMV and I've never seen it officially confirmed, but it's one of those open secrets/rumors that's in the cultural landscape here, so much that when Jarda became the spokesman for SazkaBet, there were tons of jokes about it. But yeah, the various mobs here are long a part of the entertainment and hospitality industries, much like NYC or London, so anyone opening a high profile restaurant in that time period likely had some dealings with them, especially in the historic center / areas of Praha 1.

 

[Flying Dego]

Trottier has some good Jagr stories if you have ever heard him speak at an event.

Brian is one of the coolest guys...he married into my family and he's just the most down to Earth person.

He even took me to a few stick n puck drop ins...and let me tell you how ridiculously awesome seeing the guy up close is.

 

[ronduguayshair]

Brian is one of the coolest guys...he married into my family and he's just the most down to Earth person.

He even took me to a few stick n puck drop ins...and let me tell you how ridiculously awesome seeing the guy up close is.

I saw him at a pens game standing by himself near the will call window. He had on his hockey hall of fame leather jacket and nobody knew who he was or bothered him.

 

[Peat]

Haven't watched the video yet but does it contain the story of Jagr playing a German third division game for a Schnitzel with fries and mayo?

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I saw him at a pens game standing by himself near the will call window. He had on his hockey hall of fame leather jacket and nobody knew who he was or bothered him.

I've seen him out and about in Pittsburgh but choose to leave him alone. Same with other many Pens. The only times I've talked to a Penguin was when I saw Crosby at a bar downtown and when Maatta was sitting next to me at a bar in Shadyside.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Is that when Crosby was dropping deuces with the door open?

 

[HandshakeLine]

Here the Penguins sit broken hearted, Sid said he didn’t but we know he sharted.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Is that when Crosby was dropping deuces with the door open?

Are we talking 1988 or when he first came back after having Covid?

 

[HandshakeLine]

Are we talking 1988 or when he first came back after having Covid?

Yes.

 

[steelcityassault]

Funny random Lemieux story..

We were playing a winter high school game at Harmarville back in the day. Mario walks in to watch his kid play and an obvious autograph stalker guy approaches him with about 20 different posters and pictures to sign. Lemieux signs them all and a few of them slide and fall off onto the dirty wet ground. Lemieux bends over picks them up for the guy and finishes signing them and goes "thanks man, have a good one".

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Yeah, word on the street here was that Jágr's camp was reaching out to the Pens way before the draft, pretty much right after the 1989 Revolution happened and the borders opened. This thread reminds me to go take a look at the newspaper archives next time I'm in the library this week, because I'm curious how much of an open secret it actually was.

There probably was also a bribe or two administered to Jágr's family and various officials, but I've also heard that Jágr being Greek Rite Catholic (Pittsburgh is the only other real center of Greek Rite Catholicism in the US) and Pittsburgh being one of the big CZSK expat cities had a bit to do with it. I don't know how much truth there is to that, but that's something I heard countless times at home and here, so...

The early 90s drafts were hilarious for that stuff.

I remember Bure was a player the Wings wanted but they were told they couldn't because of some games he didn't play. Low and behold Igor Larionov of all people magically uncovered those games and the canucks took him late.

Then there's the Jagr thing for us. Lindros literally told the Nords he wasn't going to play there and they took him anyway and won cups with the players they got. That was an epic win that f***ed the Flyers lol.