If Jaromir Jagr had his way, he would skip the 2016 NHL All-Star Game.
The Florida Panthers star was voted captain of the Atlantic Division, but has expressed his desire to get some rest and prepare for the stretch run rather than compete in another All-Star Game — this is the 13th time he has been selected to play.
On Saturday, following the Panthers’ 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jagr confirmed he will reluctantly participate in the spectacle on Jan. 31.
Earlier in the day, Jagr said he was unsure if he’d travel to Nashville and Elliotte Friedman reported during the Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada that Jagr was considering sitting out a regular-season game in order to skip the All-Star Game.
The NHL doesn’t want players skipping the game, so if a player is injured or chooses not to participate then the league makes them sit out a game – typically the first game following the all-star break. This has happened to star players such as Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom in recent years.
The Panthers play one more game before the all-star break – Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs – and their first game after the break takes place Feb. 2 against the Washington Capitals. It appears now that Jagr won’t miss either of those games.
