In the 102-year history of the National Hockey League, 348 individuals have played 1,000 or more regular season games. 44 of them, or 12.6%, have played some part of their career with the Atlanta or Calgary Flames. We call these players Long-Timers.

In the last edition of this series, let’s take a look at Jaromir Jagr.

It’s kind of hard to conceptualize that Jagr is a real person that exists given just how wacky his life has been. He’s played pro hockey for over 30 years.

An offensive standout with his hometown team in Kladno as a teenager he played two seasons in the Czech Extraliga before he even turned 18. He was selected fifth overall in the 1990 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins – selected ahead of him were Owen Nolan, Petr Nedved, Keith Primeau and Mike Ricci.

Jumping into the NHL in 1990, Jagr had an 11 season run with the Penguins that stands as one of the best runs anybody’s had with any teams. He won five scoring titles, a Hart Trophy and two Lester Pearson Trophies. He received a significant number of Hart votes in seven consecutive seasons. Oh, and he won back to back Stanley Cups.

In 2001, Jagr’s run in Pittsburgh ended when he was traded to Washington with Frantick Kucera for Kris Beech, Michal Sivak and Ross Lupaschuk. He had two strong seasons in D.C., then in 2004, Jagr was traded to the New York Rangers for Anson Carter. Jagr went to the KHL during the 2004-05 lockout, playing with Avangard Omsk. Post-lockout, he had a great season and won the Pearson (again) at 33. When his deal with the Rangers expired in 2008, he headed back to Omsk and spent three seasons tearing up the KHL.

Jagr returned to the NHL in 2011, at 39, and began a period we’ll call Wandering Jagr.

Finally, Jagr’s NHL tenure ended, for now, in Calgary. Now, Jagr didn’t have a full training camp and didn’t get fully up to speed, and he only had a goal and seven points before going back to the Czech Republic to play for Kladno again.

But one assist was ricocheting Mark Jankowski’s first career NHL goal in off his inner thigh, and here was his only goal.

Jagr has played the last two seasons with Kladno, and is slated to return in 2020-21.

Whenever he decides to stop playing hockey, he’ll be a slam-dunk Hall of Famer. He won Olympic gold (and bronze), plus two World Championships and two Stanley Cups. Despite missing chunks of his most productive years to three lockouts and a three season sojourn to the KHL, he’s second all-time in NHL points, third all-time in goals and third all-time in games played.

Jagr was amazing at hockey and it’s absolutely surreal that he was a Flame.