Czech his flow: There's magic in Jaromir Jagr's mullet
— -- Jaromir Jagr, the NHL's ageless wonder, led the Florida Panthers in scoring this season -- and into the Stanley Cup playoffs -- at 44. Along the way, the forward became the NHL's third all-time leading goal scorer, behind only Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe. And perhaps even more significant, Jagr brought back his glorious mullet.
After all, Jagr practically invented hockey hair. The Kid from Kladno, Czechoslovakia, and his long, flowing locks burst onto the NHL scene at age 18 in 1990 and won consecutive Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992. No. 68 would go on to play for nine more NHL teams -- and return to his home country for two stints in the KHL -- all while sporting some memorable hairstyles along the way.
Has the gloriousness of his tresses corresponded with success on the ice? As this season's renaissance on and off the ice showed, there's clearly magic in the mullet. So, as Jagr and the Panthers prepare to face the New York Islanders in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Thursday, let's Czech his flow through the years.
A bangs-up debut
At age 20, Jagr -- who often eschewed wearing a helmet during warmups, the better to let the mullet breathe -- became one of the youngest players in NHL history to score a goal in the Stanley Cup finals.
All-Star, all about the hair
During his second season in the league, Jagr and his mullet took center stage at the NHL's 1992 All-Star Game -- where he was all business in the front, but still partying in the back.
Capital offense
Sometime between October and December 1999, Jagr cut his hair -- allegedly at the request of his then-girlfriend. The next year he had trouble finding the net and was dealt to the Washington Capitals before the 2001-02 season. He later signed what was then the richest contract in NHL history: $77 million over seven years. But the Capitals missed the playoffs in 2002, and Jagr didn't finish among the NHL's top scorers, make the postseason or NHL All-Star Team.
New York style
In January 2004, Jagr was traded to the New York Rangers. He kept things trim in the Big Apple, and he set franchise records during his three-plus seasons in New York with 54 goals and 123 points in 2005-06, and scored 15 points in 10 playoff games in 2008. But the Rangers' Cup drought continued.
Slick but solemn in Philly
After a three-year hiatus in Russia, the Philadelphia Flyers signed Jagr to a one-year deal for $3.3 million in July 2011. He scored his 1,600th NHL point during his debut in Philly -- where he often played on the same line with another all-hair-team standout, Scott Hartnell -- but the Flyers were felled in the Eastern Conference finals by New Jersey.
Returning hair-o
During the NHL lockout in 2004, Jagr returned home to play for Czech hockey team Rabat Kladno -- and clearly let his hair go a bit. But he led the Czech Republic to gold at the 2005 World Hockey Championships and became a member of hockey's Triple Gold Club: players who have won a Stanley Cup, a World Hockey Championship and an Olympic gold medal.
Downcast in Dallas
On July 3, 2012, Jagr jumped to the Western Conference for the first time in his career when he signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Stars. His sojourn with the Stars was brief, thanks to the lockout. He hit the 1,000-assist mark on March 29, 2013 -- and Dallas dealt him to the Bruins the next week.
The hirsute of happiness
Jagr finally started to let his hair down again with the Bruins. And it's no coincidence that he led Boston to the Stanley Cup finals. It was his first finals since the mullet's glory years -- and set a new mark for the longest gap between finals appearances, at 21 years.
Giving the Devils a new 'do
In July 2013, Jagr agreed to a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils. During his tenure in Newark, including this portrait shoot at the 2014 NHL Awards in Las Vegas, Jagr kept his locks short and tight. Not surprisingly, he and the Devils missed the playoffs.
A hairy homage
The Devils dealt Jagr to the Panthers in February 2015, and the next season, at the ripe old age of 43, Jagr was voted to his seventh All-Star Game. Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban -- dressed as Jagr, complete with mullet wig and long pants -- won the Breakaway Challenge at the skills challenge in Nashville, much to Jagr's delight.
The mane man
Before the season, Panthers goalie and fellow longtooth Roberto Luongo begged Jagr to bring the mullet back. He agreed, and by mid-April he was closing in on his vintage look. The mullet -- and Jagr's game -- was in full flow. The Panthers now post updates of Jagr's hair on their Twitter feed.
The Traveling Jagrs
Even fans get into the act. The traveling Jagrs, a group of mullet enthusiasts who follow their hero and hair-sake around the league to various NHL rinks, sport Jagr jerseys (and wigs) representing each of his previous teams. Will they make an appearance this postseason?
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