When talking about hockey legends, past and present, few names ring out more than Jaromir Jagr. The 53-year-old has won every piece of silverware worth its name and has played professional hockey across five different decades. Known as a funny and slightly quirky character, Jagr left an impression on everyone he met. The stories surrounding him are too many to count, but one in particular stuck with former Penguins teammate Jiri Hrdina – the time they signed the inside of the Stanley Cup after breaking it during a party.
Jaromir Jagr is the epitome of a living legend: 24 seasons in the NHL, 1,921 points in 1,733 games, a trophy cabinet few athletes could match, and stories from all around the hockey world spanning five decades. You get the point. But even Jagr was once young, and during his first NHL season in 1991, he won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins after defeating the Minnesota North Stars in six games. Afterwards, team captain Mario Lemieux hosted a party for the whole team – and the Cup itself.
Jaromir Jagr signed the Stanley Cup
But sometime during the wild party, the Cup ended up in Mario’s swimming pool and broke. That’s when Jiri Hrdina and the young rascal Jaromir Jagr decided to have a little fun, Hrdina recalled for The Athletic:
“They had to repair it for the next morning’s team picture. Before they put the bottom back on the Cup, Jags and I signed it on the inside. I don’t know if our signatures are still there, but we did it hoping nobody would notice,” Hrdina told The Athletic in 2024.
Not too bad to have your name on the Stanley Cup twice as a rookie.
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