The list of reasons why Jaromir Jagr is the biggest beauty in the NHL just got a little bit longer.
Tucked into the fine print of his new one-year extension with the Florida Panthers is this little nugget: He can earn a $5,000 bonus for winning the Hart Trophy as league MVP, another $5,000 bonus for claiming the Art Ross Trophy as its leading scorer and a final $5,000 bonus if he wins the Stanley Cup, according to a source.
Incredible.
A player that has earned somewhere in the range of $150-million during his unparalleled NHL and KHL career negotiated for an extra $15,000 just in case he’s claiming major trophies during a season where he’ll turn 45.
At this stage who would want to bet against him?
Either way, Jagr will be rewarded quite handsomely by getting paid $4-million in base salary next season and earning a $300,000 bonus after playing 10, 20, 30, 40 and 45 games.
That brings the total potential value of this contract up to $5.5015-million.
Jagr’s exploits are well-documented, but it’s pretty amazing that he’s coming off a season where he led Florida in both goals (27) and points (66). In March, he said he hopes to keep playing until age 60 and still clearly has a burning desire to get better.
“First of all, I’m never happy because I’m trying to reach my top potential,” Jagr told Sportsnet. “I’m always chasing my maximum, so that’s why I’m never going to be happy because it’s impossible to reach it. It’s very high.”
Basically, he’s one of the last players who would ever need added incentive to be at his best.
But that didn’t keep him from negotiating some into his new contract.
