“Just a fu**ing beast”- Former Penguin Sean Pronger dishes on how Jaromir Jagr totally dominated jacked Robert Lang in strength

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Jul 23, 2024 21:53 GMT

Hall of Fame blueliner Chris Pronger opened up about his experience with NHL legend Jaromir Jagr. During a recent appearance on the "Spittin’ Chiclets" podcast, Pronger recalled training with Jagr at the gym.

Here’s what Pronger said about Jagr:

“Jaromir Jagr, just a fu**ing beast. Dude, that guy is so strong, so good. Robert Lang was built like jacked, he took care of himself in the gym. He’d have 225 pounds on the bench and crank out 12 reps.”

Pronger’s recollections underscore how committed Jagr was to staying in shape. Pronger and Jagr played for the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2011-12 season.

Jagr debuted in the 1990-91 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and ended his NHL career in 2017-18 with the Calgary Flames, playing in over 1,700 games.

The Hall of Fame blueliner said:

“And then Jagr was off to the side, kind of looking at him like he’d never seen this exercise before. He’s like, 'How much is that?' Everybody knows, two pizzas are 225 pounds.”

Pronger concluded the remarkable story, saying:

“So he gets under the bar, and it’s not even balanced. He just grabs it and muscles it up 12 times, like he’s never done a bench press before. I’m like, this dude’s the best of the natural athletes.”

Jaromir Jagr ended his NHL days as the second-most scorer in NHL history with 1,921 points. He trails Wayne Gretzky on the all-time leading scorer list. Interestingly enough, Jagr has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame as he hasn’t technically retired from the NHL.

Jaromir Jagr’s Hall of Fame induction on ice

The 52-year-old Jaromir Jagr is still on the ice. He continues to play professional hockey in his native Czechia. Jagr’s remarkable durability has placed him among legends like Gordie Howe, who played into his 60s.

Jagr currently plays for Rytiri Kladno. He joined the club following his final season with the Calgary Flames in 2017-18. While Jagr only played in 22 games that season, he suited up for all 82 games with the Florida Panthers in 2016-17.

Following the relatively disappointing campaign in Calgary, Jagr moved back to Europe where he has played roughly the equivalent of half of an NHL season. Last year, Jaromir Jagr played in 15 games for his Czech club, notching four assists.

The fact that Jagr continues to play professionally has delayed his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Per the Hall’s regulations, players must be retired from professional hockey for at least three years. Since Jaromir Jagr continues to play in Europe, his induction is on ice.

Nevertheless, Jagr became the first non-retired player to be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame in 2024. His selection to the IIHF Hall of Fame was a slam dunk as Jagr is considered the most productive European-born player with two World Championships, an Olympic Gold and two Stanley Cups.