Jaromir Jagr: Cultural Phenomenon | Celebrate 68

In those days, fan mail got put into the players’ lockers, and along with the candy, there were letters and gifts from Jagr’s female fans. One of Tocchet’s favorite stories involves a birthday party for Jagr after Pittsburgh acquired the tough forward from Philadelphia.

“We had some guys who were married, so they didn’t go to it. I was single at the time, and I went,” Tocchet said. “I remember, I think it was a sports café – there must have been 900 people at his birthday party, and I think it was 875 girls. So, it was the impact of being an icon here. Even after the games, going on the bus, even visiting teams – there's always a crowd of people when Jags was around.”

Jagr loved laughing, loved joking around – but also won the respect of everyone around him, from his teammates and his coaches to the fans, for his dedication and commitment to hockey. “He wanted to be one of the best; he put in the time and effort,” his teammate Ron Francis said.

Tocchet remembers how morning skates are usually around 20-25 minutes, and some guys would stay out for a half hour. Not Jagr. He’d be out there for an hour, to the point where they had to kick him off the ice because he simply did not want to leave.

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