Jaromir Jagr remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury

The Calgary Flames had an update today on the injury status of forward (and hockey legend) Jaromir Jagr. Despite speculation from media circles that the team might have a substantial announcement, today’s revelation from head coach Glen Gulutzan was rather low-key.

Jagr, 45, signed with the Flames on Oct. 2 but his tenure with the club has been uneven and besieged by ongoing injuries.

He missed three games to open the season as he tried to get into game shape; he admitted at the press conference announcing his signing that he hadn’t been training as hard as usual because he wasn’t sure he was going to get an NHL job. From there, injuries crept into his life in the form of a recurring groin injury.

Here’s Jagr’s Flames career at a glance:

As Jagr has been in and out of the lineup, top nine winger jobs have been cemented by the likes of Sam Bennett (converting back from center) and Garnet Hathaway, effectively bumping the living legend down the rotation to the fourth line.

Since Hathaway’s arrival in late November, Jagr has almost exclusively played on the fourth line with some combination of Troy Brouwer, Matt Stajan and Curtis Lazar. Through 37 games of being in “game shape,” Jagr has dressed 22 times and missed 15 games due to injury.

Last month, while holding court with the media, Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan shed some light on the nature of Jagr’s ongoing injury:

Depending on what happens with Jagr’s ongoing injury, there are a few options available. If he goes on injured reserve, he can be sidelined and recover fully (and the Flames can bring up a player from Stockton to fill his roster spot). If he retires or has his contract terminated mutually, he’d be eligible to play in the Olympics – though his injury status may complicate that for insurance and other reasons.

Needless to say, there will be more to come regarding Jagr’s status in the coming days and weeks.