What, no Jagr? Agent, teams baffled on Jaromir decision day
Excuse us, but we were told there would be, like, 100-percent more Jaromir Jagr on Jaromir Jagr Decision Day than what we were given …
On a day that saw fans tracking flights from Europe to JFK in New York, The Pensblog run paparazzi shots of Jagr in a Czech airport and reports from foreign media that Jagr had agreed to a contract being debunked, what was supposed to be a decision day for Jagr's hockey future instead became a surreal mystery.
Jagr was scheduled to fly to the U.S. on Wednesday to reveal whether he'd accept the Penguins' 1-year, $2 million contract, a competing offer from the Detroit Red Wings or another contract from a "mystery team."
From MLive.com, the Case of the Missing Mario Jr.:
His agent, Petr Svoboda, said shortly after 10 p.m. that no decision would be made tonight. Svoboda, who is based in Montreal, said he hasn't even spoken today to Jagr, who was scheduled to arrive in New York this afternoon.
"Nothing new to report,'' Svoboda said. "I don't know where he is.''
Red Wings GM Ken Holland told NHL.com late Wednesday he had not heard from Jagr's camp and was not aware of the player's whereabouts.
Penguins GM Ray Shero told NHL.com in a text message late Wednesday that he had not yet heard from Jagr's camp, either. "No word from them," he wrote. "We are working on signing our own players. (Craig) Adams and (Pascal) Dupuis are done. Working on (Tyler) Kennedy and (Arron) Asham."
In fact, while Shero was watching Dan Bylsma draw up power-play formations with No. 68 on the half-boards, he found time to ink Asham to a 1-year deal worth $775,000.
So what happened to Jagr? Perhaps he missed a flight. Or he's having second thoughts. Or he's trying to get out of a $100,000 hole at a poker game in the Delta executive lounge. Or he's freaking out about a man on the wing of the plane, only to find out it's just Scott Stevens shadowing him again.
Where do you think Jagr is?
UPDATE: Late word from Rob Rossi of the Tribune-Review, who is all over this story: "Longtime acquaintances of team co-owner Mario Lemieux and NHL agents told the Tribune-Review an agreement [with the Penguins] was in place even as Jagr flew from the Czech Republic to the United States."
