Jaromir Jagr begins 37th pro season, has assist in loss - ESPN

Jaromir Jagr has opened his 37th professional season with his hometown Kladno Knights in the Czech league.

In what is expected to be his final season, the 52-year-old winger set up a power-play goal, the only one Kladno scored in a 5-1 away loss to Pardubice on Wednesday night.

It was the first time Jagr had played a season opener since the Calgary Flames released the NHL's second-highest points scorer in 2018. He returned six years ago to Kladno, the team where he made his debut as a teenager and which he owns.

He played at Pardubice despite not being fully fit due to a muscle injury that forced him to interrupt preseason training for four weeks. Jagr said he needed more games to be back to his best.

"That's fine. [It was] the first game," he told local media.