Jaromir Jagr continues to defy the odds, playing an integral role for the upstart and NHL playoff-bound Florida Panthers. At age 44, the incomparable Jagr just keeps coming - posting shockingly effective possession numbers, collecting 66 regular season points and leading the charge for a mostly-young and incredibly talented Panthers team in this, his 25th NHL season.
Interestingly, the secret to Jagr's success and longevity isn't just his training - well, not just his physical training at least. As it turns out, Jagr is as much a proponent of soul training and chakra opening as he is wearing weighted vests and working out before, after and during practice.
"I'm not saying completely, but you can slow down [aging] 50% for sure," Jagr said. "Everything's information and energy. If you change the information on how you're getting old, you don't get old. That's why I'm playing hockey. I want to prove it's the right way. You cannot just talk about it. You have to show them, Hey, I did it. This is working."
Impressively, in a staid NHL where little in the way of new or groundbreaking thinking is generally tolerated, much less actively adopted, Jagr's strange tactics haven't been laughed off by many of the Panthers' young players, even if they aren't yet ready for talk of chakras and soul work.
"I just do what he tells me to do," Erik Gudbranson said. "And it works."
Jagr's not the only Panthers vet doling out nuggets of wisdom though. Jussi Jokinen, captain Willie Mitchell and defenseman Brian Campbell have all taken on a sort of quasi coach-player role for the young Florida players. And it's a team-building approach that's worked wonders for Dale Talon and Gerard Gallant.
Last year, Mitchell's defense partner, Aaron Ekblad, excelled thanks to the teachings of Mitchell and Campbell. This year, Gudbranson, Viktor Trocheck, Nick Bjugstad and Jonathan Huberdeau are seeing similar, if not necessarily the same results.
With the New York Islanders first on the playoff docket starting later this week, the future looks mighty bright for the Panthers, thanks in large part to the mentorship of Jagr and the rest of Florida's crew of "old guys."
And if they do make a deep run, don't be surprised to hear Huberdeau, Ekblad and the rest of the Panthers' youngsters sounding a lot like Jagr come next spring.
"When you open up your chakras, the positive energy comes to you," Jagr said. "So if you're working out two hours every day on your body, you better make sure you're spending three hours on your soul."
