At the end of a playing career, professional athletes and their bodies tend to wear down physically and mentally.  It's one of the reasons that NFL running backs Barry Sanders and Tiki Barber retired before the age of 32.  However, there are other athletes like Brett Favre, who, at 38, is still starting at quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.

There comes a time when Favre will throw his last touchdown and others like hockey forward Jaromir Jagr of the New York Rangers will hang up his skates. 

Jagr, 35, has been playing professional hockey before I was born.  Well, not quite.  He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins organization in 1990 when I was of the ripe age of four.

Since then, Jagr has been one of the greatest hockey stars of my generation.  \

Some say his physical stature (he's listed as 6-3 245 pounds) is too overwhelming for the opposition while others focus on his offensive talent.

In a recent ESPN interview, Jonah Keri asked New Jersey Devils legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur who he feared the most on a breakaway or in a shootout.

"[Jaromir] Jagr," Brodeur replied.  "He's so skilled. He can beat you with his reach, his moves, his shot. He's really talented. He's one of the guys I fear most in the league."

Of the hundreds of talent hockey superstars, Brodeur chose Jagr for a single reason - utter dominance.

As a Devils fan, I have been very experienced with Jagr listed in the opponents' starting lineup.

Jagr, who starred for the Penguins and won two Stanley Cups with future Hall of Fame Mario Lemieux, moved on to Washington for two plus seasons, before settling with the arch-rival Rangers across the Hudson River.

Although Jagr has not been to the Finals with the Capitals or Rangers since leaving Pittsburgh, his numbers speak for themselves.  He's scored 628 goals (and counting), passed for 921 assists, and tallied 1549 regular season points and he's still going strong.

Unfortunately, Jagr was forced to deal with injuries throughout his career, preventing him from ever surpassing some of Wayne Gretzky's NHL records that will most likely never be broken.

As the clock slowly ticks, I wonder how much stamina and energy remain in Jagr's tank.

Last season, he finished seventh in the league in scoring with 96 points, but this year, he's slowly wearing down offensively.

Jagr has managed just seven goals and 14 assists in the team's first 28 games, but he's just not looking the same on the ice.

"After the Maple Leafs downed the struggling Rangers last night in New York, Nik Antropov is on pace for 19 more goals and 20 more points than Jaromir Jagr," NHL writer James Mirtle said on his blog.

"Jagr's actually headed for his lowest goal total ever, just 21, which makes you wonder if, at age 35, this is the beginning of a decline for the big Czech," Mirtle said.

However, Mirtle had opposition to his theory that Jagr was on the decline.

"There is no problem with Jagr. Antropov is just that good," Pension Plan Puppets, a Toronto Maple Leafs fan blogger, commented.

If, in fact, Jagr is on the decline, whether it's a matter of battling for 82-game seasons anymore or he's legitimately injured, I would be very satisfied regardless.

Jaromir Jagr is a man of passion and dedication to the game of hockey.

A man who normally returns to his Czech Republic home during the offseason should peacefully retire from hockey when he feels ready.

We'll all be awaiting that decision.  Maybe even shed a tear or two (even Devils fans, who were fortunate to witness one of the greats to leave the sport).

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