With his playing days officially in the rearview, Philadelphia Flyers legend Wayne Simmonds has transitioned to the television sphere — at least as a special guest for trade deadline day.
Simmonds spent Friday on the panel of TSN’s TradeCentre, analyzing all of the trade deadline mayhem and telling incredible stories of his career as an NHLer.
A couple stories stood out in particular, and Jaromir Jagr, one of his old Flyers teammates, was at the center of both.
“I played with a couple legends in Philly — Chris Pronger, Jaromir Jagr. Jags was the best. I think he was one of the guys who instilled work ethic in myself and our team,” Simmonds said.
Jagr, ranked second all-time in points behind only Wayne Gretzky, spent just one season in Philadelphia, logging 19 goals and 54 points in 73 games during the 2011-12 campaign, but endeared himself to Flyers fans for his goal scoring prowess.
It turns out Jagr had a pretty unique tactic to staying atop the league in point production.
“He would take his sticks to church before every single game and have them blessed. Before every game,” Simmonds recalled.
Jagr is a devout Orthodox Christian and takes his faith very seriously. He’s also known as a fitness freak, spending hours upon hours in the gym every day while any normal person would be asleep.
“I remember I was walking home from the bar one time at, like, 2:30 in the morning, and he was on his way leaving the house to go by, but the bar was close to his house. He just looked at me and was like, ‘Wayne, get home.'”
Jagr now plays for — and owns — Czech Extraliga club Rytíři Kladno. He logged four points in 15 games this season. He is 52 years old.
An absolute legend.
