Although Jaromir Jagr revealed that this would happen ahead of time, the New Jersey Devils officially re-signed the 42-year-old this afternoon.
Jagr’s new one-year deal will come with a $3.5 million base salary, but he will earn up to $5.5 million in 2014-15 if he fulfills the requirements of his performance bonuses, according to the Star-Ledger.
This will be the first time he’s played for the same NHL team in consecutive seasons since his tenure with the New York Rangers that ended in 2008.
“There was no reason to change clubs because I was happy,” Jagr said. “No reason to do it.”
Of course, he did play for the KHL’s Omsk Avangard from 2008-10, which makes his North American career achievements all the more impressive. He has played in 1,473 career NHL games; just 294 less than Gordie Howe did. Howe did spend his mid-to-late 40s in the WHA, but that doesn’t change the fact that Jagr might be within striking distance of Howe’s NHL record if he didn’t play in the KHL.
Either way, Jagr is poised to continue to climb up the NHL’s leaderboard. He’s three goals away from sixth place on the all-time goals list (currently held by Mike Gartner, 708 goals), 13 assists shy of seventh place (Steve Yzerman, 1,063), and 16 points away from fifth place (Marcel Dionne, 1,771).
Jagr was nominated for the 2014 Masterton Trophy. He also had 24 goals and 67 points in 82 games this season.