Jaromir Jagr missed Penguins reunion, had good excuse

Forward's absence from championship celebration in Pittsburgh was understandable

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© Bill Smith/Getty Images

By NHL.com @NHLdotcom

The Pittsburgh Penguins had a big 25th anniversary Stanley Cup reunion on Saturday and almost everyone was there. Jaromir Jagr had a pretty good excuse, though.

Jagr, who had 37 points in 45 Stanley Cup Playoff games while helping Pittsburgh win back-to-back championships as a 19- and 20-year-old in 1991 and 1992, was unable to attend because he was in Ottawa playing for the Florida Panthers.

The Penguins were celebrating their first two Stanley Cup championships before their game against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday as part of the franchise's 50th anniversary. The Penguins were disappointed Jagr could not make the event, but they excused his absence.

Jagr wasn't the only former player from the championship teams to miss the reunion because of hockey-related commitments. Ron Francis (Carolina Hurricanes general manager), Ulf Samuelsson (Charlotte Checkers head coach) and Joe Mullen (Philadelphia Flyers assistant coach) were among those not in Pittsburgh. But only the 44-year-old Jagr, who spent his first 11 seasons in the NHL in Pittsburgh, missed the event because he was still playing in the NHL.
There's always the 50th anniversary?

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