Canucks' Rick Tocchet reflects on former teammate Jaromír Jágr following his retirement announcement

On Thursday morning, news broke that former NHL superstar Jaromír Jágr intends to retire at the end of the season. Jágr had been playing in the Czech Republic for Rytíři Kladno the past few seasons, the same team he is a franchise owner of. The now 52-year-old player ranks second in NHL history with 1,921 points, winning five Art Ross Trophies and two Stanley Cups during his 24-year NHL career.

During his career, Jágr played several seasons under Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet. The two won a Stanley Cup together with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992 and competed against each other numerous times internationally. When he was told the news, even Tocchet couldn't believe it and asked if he was sure before talking about his former teammates.

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“Probably one of the best one-on-one players,” Tocchet said. “We have that drill with puck possession, one-on-one. He's probably in the top three of all time. If you put a puck in the corner and play the one-on-one drill, that's what he's best at. It was amazing. Passion for the game. He's a kid. He loves hockey. I'd love for him to come back here and somehow play again as a teacher or coach or something.”

As for whether Tocchet has any interest in bringing Jágr to Vancouver as a coach, he said: “I hope I've been good to him as a teammate. There are a lot of former players I'd love to meet. Who knows, maybe in the future. He'd definitely be a guy that, if he's interested, I'd be knocking on his door.”