Playing in the NHL until you are 40 years old is not typical for most players. Not only because your body becomes exhausted more easily, but also because you need teams that want you to play for them. However, for two players, it is as if age does not affect them at all.
The recently deceased Gordie Howe played for 26 seasons in the NHL and is considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time. In fact, he was given the nickname “Mr. Hockey” because he was seen as the greatest hockey player of all time, and played longer than any other player in NHL history. He started his career in the 1946-47 season with the Detroit Red Wings and after leaving the league in 1970-71 for retirement but in 1973-74 he decided to join the Houston Aeros in the WHA to play with his sons Mark and Marty. He came back to the NHL in 1979-80 when the New England Whalers (became the Hartfold Whalers in the expansion) joined the NHL and with them he played with his sons for the first time in the NHL.
Jaromir Jagr was drafted 5th overall in the 1990 NHL draft. While he was drafted 5th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was seen by most - if not all - teams as the best player in the draft, but before the draft, he stated that he did not want to play in the NHL, which resulted in the other 4 teams not picking him. When Pittsburgh asked him if he would play for them if they drafted him, he said he would because he idolized Penguins captain, Mario Lemieux and wanted to play with him. Jagr has played for 23 seasons in the NHL, with the most recent being with the Florida Panthers in the 2016-17 season. Jagr is seen as the only player, as of now, who could possibly break Gordie Howe’s record of most seasons played in the NHL (26).
In Howe’s first season with the Detroit Red Wings he produced 22 points (7 goals and 15 assists) in 58 games. While those numbers aren’t seen as outstanding, for an 18 year old those numbers are pretty impressive. In the 1950-51 season he accomplished for the first time an above point per game ratio with 86 points (43 goals and 43 assists) in 70 games and in that same season he received his first of 6 Art Ross Trophies (awarded to the player who leads the NHL in points during the season). In the 1968-69 season Howe reached the 100 point milestone for the first time in his career (23 seasons into his career). Known for his gritty playing style, whenever a player has a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game it is called the “Gordie Howe Hat Trick”. Overall Gordie Howe finished with 801 goals and 1049 assists for a total of 1850 points in 1767 games. That was more than any other player until Wayne Gretzky surpassed him.
Jaromir Jagr entered the NHL during the 1990-91 and produced 57 points (27 goals and 30 assists) in 80 games. Using his big frame and incredible strength defenders would have a hard time getting the puck away from him and he proved that in the 1995-96 season when he produced an outstanding 149 points (62 goals and 87 assists) in 82 games (the most he produced in a season during his career). Jagr won 5 Art Ross Trophies and in his first two seasons in the NHL he won the Stanley Cup. Overall he has 765 goals, 1149 assists for a total of 1914 points in 1711 games. His 1914 points are 2nd in NHL history (behind Wayne Gretzky) and those numbers are still growing with him still playing in the NHL.
The question now is, who is the greater over ager? While Howe was an incredible player and the oldest to play in the NHL Jagr has him beat based on the fact that he has more points in less games and has the chance to increase his point totals. On top of that Jagr is 2nd all-time in points while Howe is 4th overall. Howe may have had more goals but Jagr has a chance to surpass him and with Jagr looking like he is not going to slow down anytime soon the odds of him surpassing Howe’s goal totals are very possible.
Overall, both players are legends of the game and have shown the world that just because you’re 40 or older it doesn’t mean that you can’t do what you did when you were younger. If Gordie Howe could play in a hockey game at 69 years old, then nobody should have an excuse to not partake in an activity.
