45 things to love about Jaromir Jagr

Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr is celebrating his 45th birthday on Wednesday, and there's no doubt he will have a good time. He has a game at the San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV) and needs one point to reach the 1,900-point milestone.
So while Jagr celebrates his birthday, NHL.com will celebrate Jagr and look at the 45 things to love about the NHL's second-leading scorer (in no particular order):

1. Two words: The mullet
   2. Has exceptional taste in music, citing Metallica as one of his favorite bands.
   3. Has own key to the gym and he uses it regularly.
   4. He wears No. 68 to honor his grandfather, who died in prison in 1968 during The Prague Spring, a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia.
   5. His hat trick on Jan. 3, 2015, his first in nine years, made him the oldest NHL player (42 years and 322 days) to score three goals in a game. Gordie Howe was the previous record holder at 41 years and 217 days.

6. Had his own brand of peanut butter while in Pittsburgh. What's cooler than that?
   7. He's an elite photobomber.

8. His name is one of the neatest anagrams of all time -- Jaromir becomes Mario Jr., a reference to longtime linemate Mario Lemieux.
   9. He -- and his teammates from the Czech national team -- inspired an opera. "Nagano" was written to celebrate the gold-medal triumph by the Czechs in Japan.
   10. Uses an 8-pound metal donut to work on his stick-handling. We love donuts!

11. He scored two goals in 18 seconds as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 18, 2012 -- at the age of 39.
    12. Not only a
    hockey player, but a model
    . Jagr appeared in a jewelry-star calendar in his native Czech Republic last summer. The proceeds from calendar sales went to his youth hockey program.
    13. His shirtless photo for ESPN the Magazine in 2000 became so iconic, Sharks forward Tomas Hertl recreated it 13 years later.
    14. He's obsessed with monkeys.
    Just ask teammate Nick Bjugstad.
    15. His favorite player is ... himself.
    David Krejci and Jaromir Jagr both name Jagr as their favorite player on YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY6ZaJK_ARc)
    16. His rear end. "It blocks out the sun," former New York Rangers coach Tom Renney once said. "There's no getting around it, so to speak." It
    even assisted on Aleksander Barkov's goal
    that moved Jagr into second place on the all-time points list.

17.
He wants to play until he's 55.
18. He inspires other players and fans alike to work out.
Watch: Jaromir Jagr's training regime on YouTube
19. He's a social media master. He's not a serial poster, but when Jagr gets on his
Facebook
,
Instagram
or

accounts, the result is always gold.
20. His facial hair. Sure, everyone knows and loves the mullet, but Jagr's had some
pretty epic facial hair
over the years too.
21. This goal from the 1992 Stanley Cup Final.
Watch: Jaromir Jagr's goal in Game 1 of the 1992 Stanley Cup Final
22. Two words: Mullet wig. He had one hanging in his locker last season after a fan gave it to him as a gift.
23. His teammate Vincent Trocheck, a Pittsburgh native, still has Jagr memorabilia in his parents' house.
24. Inspired Panthers trainer Tommy Powers to write multiple papers about him as he gets his master's degree at A.T. Still University.
25. Believes that when you "make interview with Jaromir Jagr" it's going to be the highlight of your career. And sometimes he's right.
26. Impressive from birth when, according to him, he weighed 13 pounds. As he said, "My bones are naturally heavy."
27. During the 2015-16 season, quit his sugar-and-cream-laden 10-coffee-a-day habit cold turkey, after doing the same with Diet Coke the season before.
28. His salute after scoring a goal.
29. Had already won the Stanley Cup twice before either of his linemates -- Jonathan Huberdeau (June 4, 1993) and Barkov (Sept. 2, 1995) -- were born.
30. He's the only 1990 NHL Draft pick still playing in the League. Wes McCauley (Detroit Red Wings, eighth round, No. 150) is a referee.
31. Has mullet-wig-wearing fan club from the Calgary area
called the Traveling Jagrs
.

32. When once told that he, and not the Dos Equis guy, is The Most Interesting Man in the World, Jagr replied, "I don't always drink beer but when I do I drink Corona."
    33. His name -- and, presumably, his game -- inspired Brix City Brewing of Bergen County, New Jersey, to create Jaromir Lager, a "Bohemian-style Pilsner."
    34. His rosy cheeks

35. His knack for scoring in the clutch -- 134 game-winning goals and counting.
    36. Is, by far, the coolest player to ever wear No. 68 -- full apologies to Ziggy Palffy, Tyler Pitlick, Milan Jurcina and others. Actually, he's one of the coolest players ever, regardless of number.
    37. His response to the question, 'How do you do it?' -- "I'm not like everyone else. I'm never sore; never get tired."
    38. Jagr's reaction on Twitter to P.K. Subban wearing a mullet as a tribute to him at the 2016 NHL All-Star Game Skills Competition: "I called my mother," Jagr said. "I didn't know I had a brother."

39. John McEnroe and Pedro Martinez are two of his all-time favorite athletes.
    40. He posed for a photo with 10-year-old Milan Lucic.

41. Has played for 20 NHL coaches, from Bob Johnson to Tom Rowe.
    42. Once called a writer the day he left for Russia after the Rangers failed to re-sign him -- to say goodbye and thanks for the coverage. What player does that?
    43. Nobody seems to enjoy practice more than Jagr.
    44. He was in the NHL before a dozen of his Panthers teammates were born.
    45. He played an elimination playoff game with his left arm strapped into a harness after separating his shoulder four days earlier.